Ivory Coast crisis exposes the hollowness of the beautiful words of West (guardian)

Refusal of Laurent Gbagbo, stand poses challenges as symbolic than practical for the African Union. Photography: Cree Bouroncle/AFP/Getty Images

Speaking of the crisis intensified in Côte d'Ivoire, the leaders of the European Union were firm. The legitimate winner of the November presidential election must be allowed to take the Office they declared their Summit in Brussels, Friday. His predecessor defeated shall be cancelled without further delay. Then, duty indeed, leaders are returned.

Unsurprisingly, Laurent Gbagbo, human fort de Côte d'Ivoire who refuses to give up power, took zero notice of non-binding applications. Futile protest of President Nicolas Sarkozy, who called the crisis in former colony "scandalous" France from United States, the economic community of West African States and the African Union have also been ignored.

More dangerously, maintains a 10 000-strong peacekeeping mission in the country, the United Nations, WIPO was summarily ordered. Ban Ki-moon insists that the United Nations, will stay put. But how some is the Secretary General the peacekeepers can contain their land?

When it comes to it, what support practice of the international community may prohibit, in Côte d'Ivoire is paralysed elected President and his supporters) really rely on if things are really bad?

Not many is the awkward response. As with past disruptions, crises West Africa have a way to expose the limits of international jurisdiction, governance and desire - and, without doubt, double standards applied to this part of the world, for example, compared to the Middle East "more strategic important."

British intervention in civil war in Sierra Leone in 2000 to save the besieged, Nigerian UN troops was rare. More typical is what has happened during climax to a threat of rebels in the capital, Monrovia Liberia's civil war, in 2003. A powerful U.S. naval Task-force remained in the offshore, commanded no steps to obtain aspirated military or political.

A recent report by said Djinnit, special representative of the United Nations for the West African highlighted governance and security challenges that are usually ignored by Western countries. He cited the case of Mauritania, Niger, where a military Commission ruling dissolved the Government and seized the President earlier this year, Guinea and Togo. In all these States Djinnit said, most international commitment needed to survive democratic governance.

Contempt opened Gbagbo has therefore challenges as symbolic practices. African Union and others will seek to intervene by force if he refuses to back? So far, only to the Kenya has openly advocated a military action. But Prime Minister Raila Odinga, admits the AU 'lacks teeth', a harshly obvious truth, for example, in Somalia.

Past performance, the United States and NATO will be clear. European Union, despite his strong words and its vaunted rapid reaction force has apparently little appetite for a company in West Africa. Which, in theory, leaves the former colonial power, France.

But the French policy has changed since the 1980s and 1990s Francophonie interventionist. As Great Britain, the focus is now on the business and trade. Power of Paris has dwindled. For the moment this crisis, Sarkozy led clear talk of military action, only threatening sanctions and moral disapproval.

Which is likely to change, but only if, as during the civil war 2002-3, the French community of 15,000 men in Côte d'Ivoire and substantial investments of 600 French companies doing business there appear directly threatened. With 900 soldiers in the country and doing nothing, is an embarrassment. Empêtré become a civil war is still less edifying perspective.

The bottom line is now that the mission of the United Nations is facing a crisis in Côte d'Ivoire proportions potentially dangerous and important - and it is not known to help. Worse still, it was avoidable. And even if disaster is avoided this time, sooner or later a similar upheaval happen.

It should be an international mechanism agreed, permanent, driven to discourage, manipulation and reverse chaotic spoof Africa Ivorian-style that have long plagued the people of West Africa. Without being able to back up the talk with firm action, there may be little point to speak always of good governance, democracy and the rule of law.