Mbeki on peace path
2005-11-21 22:08
Johannesburg - President Thabo Mbeki, the chief mediator in war-torn Ivory Coast, and Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo will visit Abidjan on Tuesday for talks on choosing a new prime minister to unblock the peace process.
A foreign ministry statement said: "The visit ... comes within the context of the mandate given to both presidents at the African Union's peace and security council ... to continue to assist the people of Cote d'Ivoire find a comprehensive and lasting solution to their challenges.
"In addition, Presidents Mbeki and Obasanjo will assist in the process of appointing a new prime minister as agreed at the October 5 meeting."
Under a United Nations resolution, the Ivory Coast was to be given a consensus prime minister "with full powers" to run the government and organise a presidential election by October 31 2006.
Deadlines
The election was supposed to have been held by the end of last month, but was abandoned after it proved impossible to organise polling with half of the country controlled by rebels and President Laurent Gbagbo determined to cling on to power.
Gbagbo was now expected to remain in office until another vote could be organised, but his supporters, the rebels and the mainstream opposition had so far been unable to agree on a prime minister and the peace process appeared once more to be deadlocked.
According to the UN resolution 1633, the prime minister should have been named by October 31, but that date was moved to November 15 and the deadline had now passed.
Meanwhile, Ivory Coast opposition leader Alassane Ouattara held a second day of talks on Monday with Mbeki in Pretoria.
Ouattara's adviser Adama Toungara said: "We met South African authorities and President Mbeki for one hour yesterday (on Sunday) and held a final round of talks today (on Monday)."