The Hindu : Ivory Coast peace talks open in Paris

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 17, 2003

International

International

Ivory Coast peace talks open in Paris

By Vaiju Naravane

PARIS. JAN. 16. ``The Ivory Coast is at a crossroads. France, the host country, is here to give you its support,'' the French Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin, told participants in peace negotiations aimed at resolving a four-month-old civil war in its former colony of Ivory Coast. The rich cocoa-producing West African state, once held out as a model of prosperity and good governance in Africa has been torn apart by civil strife that has claimed hundreds of lives, made over a million homeless and left its economy in a shambles.

The talks that opened in Paris on Wednesday are expected to last ten days and bring together representatives of Ivorian President, Laurent Gbagbo, and the country's three main rebel factions, as well as delegates from other major political parties.

France sent over 2500 troops to keep the peace and protect foreign nationals, including its own 20,000 citizens who have chosen to make their home in the Ivory Coast. The meeting, which is due to conclude on Jan. 24, is being chaired by Pierre Mazeaud, former Minister and member of France's Constitutional Council, who will be assisted by three coordinators, respectively representatives of ECOWAS, the African Union and the U.N. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson in Paris said : "The goal is to resolve the crisis and restore peace and unity in Côte d'Ivoire. We are going to build on the progress made during the African mediation which has to be taken forward and successfully concluded.''

Rebels and the government did sign a new ceasefire two days ago to replace an earlier ceasefire agreement of October 17 last that remained a dead letter. "The agreement, which supplements that of Oct. 17, implies the cessation of hostilities on all the territory of Côte d'Ivoire. Unlike the first agreement, the Ivorian government is a signatory of this one,'' the Foreign Ministry said.

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