Ivory Coast foes declare end to war

By: ABHIK KUMAR CHANDA

PRETORIA - Ivory Coast leaders yesterday agreed to put a definite end to the war that has left the west African country divided and ruined what was once one of the continent's most prosperous nations.

In an accord reached in Pretoria on the fourth day of talks, the

five leaders took several steps to put Ivory Coast firmly on the

path to peace through disarmament and resolving a dispute over the

eligibility of candidates for election.

"The Ivorian parties that are signatories to the Pretoria

agreement hereby solemnly declare the immediate and final cessation

of all hostilities and the end of the war throughout the national

territory," said the six-page agreement.

 

"In this regard, they unequivocally repudiate the use of force

as a means to resolve differences among themselves," it said.

 

The accord was signed at the presidential guest house by

President Laurent Gbagbo, main opposition leader Alassane Ouattara,

former president Henri Konan Bedie, Seydou Diarra, consensus prime

minister of a government of national reconciliation and rebel

leader Guillaume Soro.

 

South African President Thabo Mbeki, who shepherded the talks as

the African Union's chief mediator, emphasised the importance of

the pledge to end the hostilities, saying the sides had agreed "to

say the war is over and to recommit ...to the peaceful resolution

of the conflict."

 

A key meeting between the head of the rebel forces controlling

the north of Ivory Coast and the commander of the government troops

is scheduled to take place in Bouake on April 14 to commence the

process of disarmament, the agreement said.

 

Mbeki said he will consult with Nigerian President Olusegun

Obasanjo, chairman of the 53-nation African Union, and UN Secretary

General Kofi Annan to make a ruling on a disputed constitutional

provision which states that both parents of candidates to office

must be born in Ivory Coast.

 

The provision had been used to bar opposition leader Ouattara

from running in elections, which Mbeki hopes can be held in October

to crown the peace process in Ivory Coast.

 

"Having listened to the views of the Ivorian leaders, the

mediator undertook to make a determination on this matter after

consultation with President Olusegun Obasanjo and the secretary

general of the United Nations which will be communicated to the

Ivorian leaders," said the agreement.

 

"I expect we will complete this matter within a week," Mbeki

added.

 

Ivory Coast, once a haven of stability in west Africa and

world's top cocoa producer, has been split in two since a failed

coup against Gbagbo in September 2002, pitting rebels from the

Muslim-dominated north against the Christian-populated south.

 

Former colonial power France stepped in to broker the Marcoussis

peace accord in January 2003 but key provisions of the pact

including disarmament have not been implemented.

 

Tension rose last November when government planes violated a

ceasefire with strikes on rebel-held towns.

 

One raid killed nine French peacekeepers and a US aid

worker.

 

French forces wiped out the Ivorian air force in retaliation,

unleashing violence in Abidjan and other southern cities, most of

which targeted French nationals and other expatriates.

 

Some 8 000 foreigners fled the country.

 

Mbeki was asked by the African Union in November to broker a

resolution to the conflict that has left several thousand dead.

 

- Nampa-AFP

 

"The Ivorian parties that are signatories to the Pretoria agreement

hereby solemnly declare the immediate and final cessation of all

hostilities and the end of the war throughout the national

territory," said the six-page agreement."In this regard, they

unequivocally repudiate the use of force as a means to resolve

differences among themselves," it said.The accord was signed at the

presidential guest house by President Laurent Gbagbo, main

opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, former president Henri Konan

Bedie, Seydou Diarra, consensus prime minister of a government of

national reconciliation and rebel leader Guillaume Soro.South

African President Thabo Mbeki, who shepherded the talks as the

African Union's chief mediator, emphasised the importance of the

pledge to end the hostilities, saying the sides had agreed "to say

the war is over and to recommit ...to the peaceful resolution of

the conflict."A key meeting between the head of the rebel forces

controlling the north of Ivory Coast and the commander of the

government troops is scheduled to take place in Bouake on April 14

to commence the process of disarmament, the agreement said.Mbeki

said he will consult with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo,

chairman of the 53-nation African Union, and UN Secretary General

Kofi Annan to make a ruling on a disputed constitutional provision

which states that both parents of candidates to office must be born

in Ivory Coast.The provision had been used to bar opposition leader

Ouattara from running in elections, which Mbeki hopes can be held

in October to crown the peace process in Ivory Coast."Having

listened to the views of the Ivorian leaders, the mediator

undertook to make a determination on this matter after consultation

with President Olusegun Obasanjo and the secretary general of the

United Nations which will be communicated to the Ivorian leaders,"

said the agreement."I expect we will complete this matter within a

week," Mbeki added.Ivory Coast, once a haven of stability in west

Africa and world's top cocoa producer, has been split in two since

a failed coup against Gbagbo in September 2002, pitting rebels from

the Muslim-dominated north against the Christian-populated

south.Former colonial power France stepped in to broker the

Marcoussis peace accord in January 2003 but key provisions of the

pact including disarmament have not been implemented.Tension rose

last November when government planes violated a ceasefire with

strikes on rebel-held towns.One raid killed nine French

peacekeepers and a US aid worker.French forces wiped out the

Ivorian air force in retaliation, unleashing violence in Abidjan

and other southern cities, most of which targeted French nationals

and other expatriates.Some 8 000 foreigners fled the country.Mbeki

was asked by the African Union in November to broker a resolution

to the conflict that has left several thousand dead.- Nampa-AFP

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