I Coast deadlock continues
2004-07-02 07:20
Abidjan - Ivory Coast remained deadlocked on Thursday after two days of talks between President Laurent Gbagbo and his opposition failed to yield an accord restoring normal government function to the troubled African cocoa giant.
Tuesday's meeting at the presidential palace was their first contact in three months, following an opposition walk-out of cabinet meetings to protest the brutal suppression of a banned pro-peace rally by government forces.
The two days of talks were to have been a symbol of reconciliation and the willingness on all sides to rescue a peace pact signed in January last year, in the wake of a stern message last week from a visiting UN Security Council team warning of consequences, possibly including sanctions, if they did not.
Instead, a joint statement released late on Thursday spoke only of a need for more dialogue.
President "chief obstacle"
The French-brokered peace pact aimed to end a civil war spawned by a failed coup in September 2002 and to address catalysts of the conflict that has divided Ivory Coast ever since, namely questions of land ownership and national identity.
It also mandated disarmament, which Gbagbo partisans believe must be undertaken first.
Not so the rebels, who boycotted the talks accusing the president of being the chief obstacle to restoring the peace process.
The G7 opposition coalition had said it was disposed to return to government provided that three ministers sacked by Gbagbo in May were reinstated along with the salaries of all the ministers who abandoned the cabinet sessions.
They also demanded security guarantees and that greater executive powers be ceded to Prime Minister Seydou Diarra, as foreseen by the peace pact itself which was envisioned as somewhat of a roadmap for Ivory Coast in the run-up to elections set for 2005.
Gbagbo said only that he would consider the opposition request, noting that to his mind the question of Diarra's executive powers has been resolved, the statement said.