Former Ivory Coast belligerents hold landmark meeting in rebel capital

BOUAKE, Ivory Coast (AFP) Jul 16, 2003
Ivory Coast's political parties and former insurgents Wednesday began a landmark meeting in the rebel capital of Bouake to review the implementation of a French-brokered peace deal that ended a ruinous civil war.

The meeting was organised by rebel forces who rose up against President Laurent Gbagbo in September, slicing the country in half.

Only Gbagbo's ruling Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party was absent from the meeting but it did not give a reason for its no show.

The former rebels are now called the "now forces" after joining a national unity government in line with the French-mediated peace deal signed in January.

Communications Minister Guillaume Soro, who doubles up as secretary general of the Ivory Coast Patriotic Movement (MPCI) which spearheaded the September rebellion, underscored the need for unity.

"I would like to tell all political parties who started the war to calmly and honestly discuss about the future of Ivory Coast and the process of national reconciliation," he said.

In another development, the former rebel forces and the loyalist troops on Wednesday reaffirmed their "subordination" to President Gbagbo.

Ivory Coast's ruinous war was officially declared over on July 4.

WAR.WIRE