Mbeki's Ivory Coast peace mission
Thabo Mokgola
10 January 2004
President Thabo Mbeki is scheduled to return to the Ivory Coast on Tuesday, where he has been meeting key political leaders in an African Union-sanctioned mission to help find peace in the conflict-ridden west African country.
President Mbeki was in Libreville, Gabon on Monday, leading a delegation to a summit of the African Union's peace and security council.
Mbeki is expected to hold discussions in Abidjan with Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo and Prime Minister Seydou Diarra.
Mbeki is acting on an African Union (AU) and Ecowas mandate to help the people of the Ivory Coast find a political solution to the country's challenges.
"The principal objective of the visit is to review progress in the implementation of the roadmap developed by all parties in the Ivory Coast following consultations with President Mbeki since 9 November 2004", the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
Mbeki's first round of meetings with Diarra
and Gbagbo took place in early December, when he also held discussions with New Forces (FN) rebel leader Guillaume Soro in Bouake.
Conflict erupted in the world leading cocoa-producing nation when rebels staged an uprising against Gbagbo two years ago, effectively splitting the country into a Muslim-dominated rebel north and Christian government-held south.
The rebels accused Gbagbo of disenfranchising the Muslim-dominated north.
Late last year, the country was again plunged into crisis, with looting and violence against French nationals following a government-led air offensive on rebel-held targets.
The renewed conflict had African leaders worried at the failure of the signatories to implement the Accra III Agreement.
The agreement, signed by representatives of all political parties and rebel movements in the Ivory Coast, spells out key dates for the implementation of a peace accord in the divided nation.
Source: BuaNews
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