When there was an electoral stand-off in Zimbabwe, power-sharing was the solution and Robert Mugabe remained President. In Kenya, power-sharing was also the preferred route to peace and Mwai Kibaki remained President. (In both cases the opposition leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai and Raila Odinga, became Prime Minister.)
The calculation was made that shared power gave [peace the best chance, and that peace was more important than trying to establish who had won and then implementing the result. Bearing in mind Africa's terrible history of civil wars, the pressure to avoid them is inevitable.
Now, Ivory Coast is choosing an alternative to shared power, but the principle of peace above all else remains.
That''s all from today''s show. A huge number of comments today - particularly busy on texts and Facebook. Thanks so much to everyone for taking part. Cheers, see you tomorrow!
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:58
113631290
Truth Organisation emailed - We are taught in the Quran that Christians and Jews are also Muslim because we all submit. Why are we making life difficult for our Christian brothers and sisters?
Comment sent via Facebook
18:56
113631290
Thabale on Facebook - Haven't christians always been persecuted? I guess the whole 'turn the other cheek' thing is wearing a little thin is this day & age.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:55
113631290
Sunday from Nigeria on Facebook - I blame the politicians for this. They use religion as the base for campaigns, appointments, allocation and sharing of government resources.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:55
113631290
Magaji on Facebook - But all along Muslims have been attacked and killed on daily basis all over the world. No-one gave a damn - until now when a handful Christians were killed?
Comment sent via Facebook
18:55
113631290
Emmanuel on Facebook - Religious fanaticism is a threat to world peace. We have to live as one people, irrespective of one's religion.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:55
113631290
Johnson on Facebook - Really 主播大秀 is this a question to ask? I'm surprised the way the media always hypes anything anti-Islam, yet pays little attention to all gross criminal things christians suffer from muslims.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:54
113631290
Tyrone on Facebook - The Egypt and Iraq attacks are rooted in al-Qaeda's latest objective, to retaliate for the alleged conversion of two Coptic women who converted, but are being held against their will.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:54
113631290
Alfie on Facebook - Christians will forever be persecuted. It is a suffering that all christians must face - islamic society or not
Comment sent via BLOG
18:53
113631290
ModernJan on the blog - The Christians in Muslim countries are a tiny minority that have lost the European colonial protection they once enjoyed. So now that land, water and other commodities become scarcer and scarcer in the Middle East and the Muslim majority becomes more zealot the Christians will undergo the same fate minorities have been undergoing throughout history.
Comment sent via host
18:52
113631290
That''s all on Ivory Coast for now. We''re now going to look at the aftermath of the attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt. What do you think - does it indicate Christianity is under attack worldwide, or is an issue just in Egypt?
Comment sent via Facebook
18:50
113631290
Chrispin in Liberia on Facebook - I pity the condition of my neighbours. It reminds me of yesterday. I pray that sanity will be restore to Ivory Coast soon.
Comment sent via SMS
18:50
115941610
I don鈥檛 trust mr.gbagbo and mr.outara,they are both power hungry!what proof is their that mr.outara will leave the presidency if he looses next elections?i dont trust african leaders.musisi andrew in ntinda uganda
Comment sent via SMS
18:49
114325346
Abdiweli from Muqdisho.let the international comunity leave alone the affaiq of ivorycoast.i am sure they are baised against al Africa.le our br鈥檕 be on da tabl
Comment sent via Facebook
18:49
113631290
Hannah on Facebook - African leaders really need to respect the people's decision. For the African continent to progress then democracy has to prevail
Must Ivory Coast prioritise peace above all else?
| Monday, 1 Jan. 2011 | 18:06 - 19:00 GMT
When there was an electoral stand-off in Zimbabwe, power-sharing was the solution and Robert Mugabe remained President. In Kenya, power-sharing was also the preferred route to peace and Mwai Kibaki remained President. (In both cases the opposition leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai and Raila Odinga, became Prime Minister.)
The calculation was made that shared power gave [peace the best chance, and that peace was more important than trying to establish who had won and then implementing the result. Bearing in mind Africa's terrible history of civil wars, the pressure to avoid them is inevitable.
Now, Ivory Coast is choosing an alternative to shared power, but the principle of peace above all else remains.
Your comments
Comment sent via host
That''s all from today''s show. A huge number of comments today - particularly busy on texts and Facebook. Thanks so much to everyone for taking part. Cheers, see you tomorrow!
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Truth Organisation emailed - We are taught in the Quran that Christians and Jews are also Muslim because we all submit. Why are we making life difficult for our Christian brothers and sisters?
Comment sent via Facebook
Thabale on Facebook - Haven't christians always been persecuted? I guess the whole 'turn the other cheek' thing is wearing a little thin is this day & age.
Comment sent via Facebook
Sunday from Nigeria on Facebook - I blame the politicians for this. They use religion as the base for campaigns, appointments, allocation and sharing of government resources.
Comment sent via Facebook
Magaji on Facebook - But all along Muslims have been attacked and killed on daily basis all over the world. No-one gave a damn - until now when a handful Christians were killed?
Comment sent via Facebook
Emmanuel on Facebook - Religious fanaticism is a threat to world peace. We have to live as one people, irrespective of one's religion.
Comment sent via Facebook
Johnson on Facebook - Really 主播大秀 is this a question to ask? I'm surprised the way the media always hypes anything anti-Islam, yet pays little attention to all gross criminal things christians suffer from muslims.
Comment sent via Facebook
Tyrone on Facebook - The Egypt and Iraq attacks are rooted in al-Qaeda's latest objective, to retaliate for the alleged conversion of two Coptic women who converted, but are being held against their will.
Comment sent via Facebook
Alfie on Facebook - Christians will forever be persecuted. It is a suffering that all christians must face - islamic society or not
Comment sent via BLOG
ModernJan on the blog - The Christians in Muslim countries are a tiny minority that have lost the European colonial protection they once enjoyed. So now that land, water and other commodities become scarcer and scarcer in the Middle East and the Muslim majority becomes more zealot the Christians will undergo the same fate minorities have been undergoing throughout history.
Comment sent via host
That''s all on Ivory Coast for now. We''re now going to look at the aftermath of the attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt. What do you think - does it indicate Christianity is under attack worldwide, or is an issue just in Egypt?
Comment sent via Facebook
Chrispin in Liberia on Facebook - I pity the condition of my neighbours. It reminds me of yesterday. I pray that sanity will be restore to Ivory Coast soon.
Comment sent via SMS
I don鈥檛 trust mr.gbagbo and mr.outara,they are both power hungry!what proof is their that mr.outara will leave the presidency if he looses next elections?i dont trust african leaders.musisi andrew in ntinda uganda
Comment sent via SMS
Abdiweli from Muqdisho.let the international comunity leave alone the affaiq of ivorycoast.i am sure they are baised against al Africa.le our br鈥檕 be on da tabl
Comment sent via Facebook
Hannah on Facebook - African leaders really need to respect the people's decision. For the African continent to progress then democracy has to prevail