Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo is committed to implementing peace deals struck with rebels who hold the north of the world's top cocoa grower, South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Tuesday. "I must say I am very pleased by the commitment of the President Laurent Gbagbo to implement in full Marcoussis and Accra III (peace deals) so that Ivory Coast can go through a transitional process," Mbeki said after talks with Gbagbo.
Ivory Coast's army shattered an 18-month cease-fire by launching bombing raids and a ground offensive on the rebel-held north last week. However France destroyed Ivorian military aircraft after nine French soldiers were killed in a raid.
Mbeki flew into Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan on Tuesday at the head of an African Union mission to try and resolve the crisis, after three days of violent anti-French riots across the West African country.
The rebels demand the implementation of a series of political reforms outlined in the January 2003 Linas-Marcoussis peace agreement, which include a change in the constitution to allow an opposition leader to stand for president.
In a July 2004 deal known as Accra III, Gbagbo agreed a September 30 deadline for the political reforms and the rebels pledged to start disarming by October 15. Neither side stuck to its deadline.
"We have spent a number of hours going over areas in the Linas-Marcoussis and Accra III agreement. I am very encouraged by the work done by the government to make sure it responds to elements of these agreements," Mbeki told reporters.
"My responsibility now is to report urgently to the chairman of the African Union and the chairman of the commission of the African Union. They will direct us as to what to do next."
Instability has gripped Ivory Coast since rebel soldiers seized the north following a failed attempt to oust Gbagbo in September 2002.
50 KILLED BY FRENCH TROOPS: Around 50 people were killed by French troops in Ivory Coast during three days of violence which exploded after France wiped out most of the country's military aircraft, an Ivorian minister said on Tuesday.
"We have counted around 50 people dead, all of them were demonstrators shot by the French," National Reconciliation Minister Sebastien Dano told Reuters, adding the death toll was for both the main city Abidjan and other towns.
There was no independent confirmation of the figure but sources at one hospital in Abidjan said 18 people had been taken in dead or had died there of their wounds.
Comments
Comments are closed.