West Africa Gives Ouattara Control of Ivory Coast Cash
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The Central Bank of West African States recognized Alassane Ouattara as Ivory Coast’s president, giving him control over state reserves previously governed by Laurent Gbagbo.
The seven finance ministers of the member states except Ivory Coast backed Ouattara at a meeting in Guinea-Bissau yesterday after the United Nations, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States supported him as the winner of the Nov. 28 election, the central bank, or BCEAO, said on its website today. Gbagbo has rejected international calls to step down as the leader of the world’s top cocoa grower.