Annan hails I Coast talks

2004-12-09 09:26

United Nations - United Nations Secretary Kofi Annan hailed on Wednesday the latest efforts at peace in Ivory Coast, following South African President Thabo Mbeki's mediation effort, the UN chief's spokesperson said.

"The parties must now agree upon a detailed programme of action for the implementation of their commitments within a clear time frame," spokesperson Fred Eckhard said in a statement.

"The secretary general urges all the Ivorian parties to seize this opportunity and to ensure that genuine progress, which is required to prepare for the holding of elections in October 2005, is made," he said.

"The secretary general looks forward to President Mbeki and the African Union's continued efforts to resolve the crisis" in Ivory Coast, he added.

Mbeki managed to squeeze new peace commitments out of all key players in Ivory Coast this week, on a mission made on behalf of the African Union to try and breathe life into a moribund peace process in the troubled former French colony.

He spent four days crisscrossing the West African nation, meeting with ruling party, rebels and opposition officials.

The former AU chairman made some headway in his mediation efforts, the most important probably being a commitment from Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo's government to amend severe restrictions in the constitution. - AFP

- SAPA