Ivory Coast foes set deadline
2005-06-29 22:22
Pretoria - Ivory Coast leaders agreed on Wednesday to set a deadline of August 20 to dismantle pro-government militias as part of a renewed commitment to a peace accord brokered by South Africa.
"The meeting noted that the actual disarmament and dismantling of the militia has not yet commenced," said a statement issued at the end of two days of talks here mediated by President Thabo Mbeki.
"In this regard, it was agreed that this process will commence immediately and end by 20 August 2005," it said.
The Pretoria accord signed on April 6 ran into a major hurdle this week when rebel forces made clear they would not abide by the June 27 deadline to disarm unless pro-government militias were taken out of action.