Awwal 05, 1432, Feb 08, 2011, SPA -- The chairman of West Africa's regional bloc on Tuesday criticized South Africa for sending a warship to the region amid Ivory Coast's political crisis, but the South African government maintained it had sent the vessel as a negotiating venue, AP reported. The dispute comes amid a growing rift between African nations on how to resolve the political stalemate in Ivory Coast. Incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo has refused to cede power more than two months after the U.N. said he lost the election. James Victor Gbeho, president of the West African bloc of states known as ECOWAS, said Tuesday the presence of a South African warship «can only complicate the matter further.» «The solidarity that started among us in the international community is fast being eroded because certain countries are picking sides and therefore are disagreeing with the decision already taken,» he said in Abuja, Nigeria, where the 15-nation regional bloc is based. But South African defense department spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini said the ship is not supplying military support to Gbagbo or the internationally recognized election winner, Alassane Ouattara. The vessel, which has been in international waters off West Africa for about two weeks for routine training, is there to support the mission of the African Union, Dlamini said. The African Union last week asked the presidents of Chad, Mauritania, South Africa, Tanzania and Burkina Faso to find a peaceful way to install Ouattara, as president. The leaders sent a team of 15 experts to Abidjan on Sunday, who will eventually be followed by the presidents. AU representative Ambroise Nyonsaba said Monday the leaders would try to organize a face-to-face meeting between Gbagbo and Ouattara, both who claim to be the elected president. South Africa, though, has never endorsed Ouattara as president unlike the African Union, and instead has suggested a recount of the votes _ echoing calls made by Gbagbo for such a move. However, South African President Jacob Zuma this week denied supporting Gbagbo and said South Africa remains a neutral mediator in the political deadlock, according to state-funded South African Broadcasting Corp. ECOWAS has threatened military invasion to oust Gbagbo if negotiations fail, though several countries have since expressed reservations about using force and no deadline has been set. -- SPA
