Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Abidjan (Agenzia Fides)- On Sunday 18 November talks resumed in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, between the Ivorian parties which signed the peace agreement last March which ended the division of Ivory Coast (see Fides 5/3/2007). The delegation of President Laurent Gbagbo is led by Minister of the Interior Désiré Tagro, who is meeting with Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, leader of the New Forces, the alliance of guerrilla groups which controlled the north west of the country until the Ouagadougou peace pact. That agreement must now be completed and modified and this is the reason for the meeting in the capital of Burkina Faso, which is part the activity of a Committee of evaluation and accompaniment stipulated by the March agreement. The Ivorian press refers to Ouagadougou 2, to underline the importance of the decisions made in the new talks. Again the mediator is Blaise Compaoré, president of Burkina Faso.
The new agreements foresee the choice of a French company to produce “biometric” identity papers which register electronically height, eye colour of eyes etc., which will no longer include ethnic origin (see Fides 9/11/2007). The new identity papers are one of several indispensable conditions for calling a general election. One of the matters for discussion is disarmament of the militia and the return of the north-west under government administration.
President Gbagbo told the envoy of his Burkina Faso counterpart that he will apply the Ouagadougou agreements swiftly. Both the envoy of the President of Burkina Faso and Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, appealed to international donors to help Ivory Coast put the Ouagadougou agreements into practice. Funds are needed to organise the elections and start disarmament process.
At the end of this month the Ivorian president will visit 4 cities in the north Korhogo, Ferkessedougou, Boundiali and Tengrela. In July President Gbagbo made a highly symbolic visit to the rebel stronghold Bouaké. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 20/11/2007 righe 28 parole 365)
