News from Washington

United States Hopes U.N. Vote on Côte d'Ivoire Prompts Elections

There is hope the Security Council resolution on political transition in Côte d'Ivoire will lead to elections and the successful conclusion of the U.N. peacekeeping mission within a year, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton says. The resolution, Bolton says, is intended to follow through on the Ivorian transition process. “There is a feeling [in the Security Council] that it has gone on for a long time and we need to get the Ivorian parties to the point where they reach sufficient agreement so they can proceed with the election," he remarks after the council vote, November 1.

Darfur Needs Credible, Effective International Force, Bush Says

Speaking at the White House on October 31, President Bush and U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Andrew Natsios call for a “credible and effective international force” to be sent to Darfur. Bush says the Sudanese government must understand that the United States is “earnest and serious” when calling for Khartoum to work with the international community.

Congo's Runoff Election "Light Years Beyond" Previous Balloting

The Bush administration congratulates the Congolese people for conducting the country’s final round of voting October 29, saying that despite some incidents of violence and reports of irregularities, “this election was light years beyond anything that we've seen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”