Peace 'possible' in I Coast
2004-04-20 09:03
Abidjan - Reconciliation for Ivory Coast is possible if all sides are committed to making peace work, the UN peacekeeping chief said on Monday after meetings with key players in the conflict that has divided the west African state for 19 months.
Jean-Marie Guehenno held talks with both President Laurent Gbagbo and the coalition of opposition politicians who walked out of his government in the wake of the worst violence to hit Abidjan in months.
The talks were part of Guehenno's five-day official visit aimed at defusing the political and military crisis that has crippled the one-time regional powerhouse.
They follow by two weeks the installation of a UN peacekeeping mission, to help chart a course towards reconciliation ahead of elections set for October 2005.
"I think that we can unblock this (peace) process if each side well and truly commits to doing so," Guehenno told reporters after more than an hour behind closed doors with Gbagbo, citing disarmament as a crucial step towards reconciliation.
"I hope we will see tangible evidence that will convince the international community that all Ivorians are fully engaged in the peace process."
Massive demonstrations against Gbagbo's failure to implement a January 2003 peace pact descended into violence on March 25.
The Marcoussis accords sought to address the key causes of the crisis that sent the country spiralling into civil war - the questions of national identity and land ownership.
The opposition coalition, who have dubbed themselves "the Marcoussists" or M-7 for their support of the peace pact, blame Gbagbo for the violence that left as many as 500 dead according to opposition figures. The official death toll has been set at 37.
M-7 has refused since "Black Thursday" to communicate with the president, but put forth a five-point set of demands this weekend that they said would return them to the negotiating table.
Security guarantees for both the civilian population and political activists, the right to demonstrate, and the need for an international commission to investigate "Black Thursday" were top priorities set by M-7, which includes the political arm of the rebel movement that rose up 19 months ago to oust Gbagbo.
Both Gbagbo and Prime Minister Seydou Diarra have said they were disposed to accepting the opposition demands.
Though Guehenno appeared visibly satisfied upon emerging from Monday's talks, the opposition parties were less so, said Sports Minister Michel Gueu, speaking for one of the rebel movements.
Describing their encounter with the UN envoy as "heated," Gueu said the opposition was disappointed in their reception by the UN-led team, which also included representatives from the US, British and French foreign ministries.
"We are a little disappointed; this team has a poor understanding about the real problems in Ivory Coast," he said.
"Finding a solution to the political problem is more important than disarmament. We want dialogue first."