Paris – Nigeria is set to re-open its embassy in Cote d’Ivoire  as peace is gradually restored in that country. Nigeria closed its embassy when it came under attack by supporters of former President Laurent Gbagbo.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Odein Ajumogobia told NAN  that the  embassy in Abidjan would soon be re-opened, adding that all staff and families of diplomats who were relocated to Ghana, during the peak of the crisis, would return to their post.

“As a general protocol, when there is crisis in a country, we ask staff to evacuate their families so that they can concentrate on the work at hand.

“In this case, the embassy  in Cote d’Ivoire came under attack, so we evacuated everyone, but peace and stability is being restored.  So we will reopen the embassy soon,’’ he said.
Cote d’Ivoire was thrown into a four-month civil war, following the refusal of erstwhile President Laurent Gbagbo to cede power to Allasane Ouattara, winner of the Nov. 2010  election.

The development led to the death of thousands of people and exodus of people from that country to neighbouring Ghana, Burkina Faso and Liberia while Gbagbo, after spending days in his bunker, was arrested on April  11, and handed over to UN forces.

Speaking on what next for Gbagbo, Ajumogobia said that he should be treated with respect as a former president regardless of whatever charges against him.