New Peace Deal in Côte d'Ivoire
Rivals sign pact in neighbouring Burkina Faso
A peace accord between the government and rebels intends to begin a new chapter in Ivorian history. The deal includes national elections that are long overdue.
The president of Côte d'Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, and his rival rebel leader, Guillaume Soro, signed a deal on March 4 that may finally bring peace to the unstable nation. This latest arrangement follows 14 unsuccessful attempts by the United Nations (UN) and Ivorians to unify the nation. The world's top cocoa producer has been divided since their 2002-2003 civil war erupted after rebels attempted to overthrow Gbagbo.
Since 2003, Côte d'Ivoire has been split between the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south. There are approximately 11,000 UN and French peacekeeping forces forming a buffer zone, intended to ensure the country does not slip back into civil unrest.
The most important issues separating the two sides have been disarmament, national identity and new elections. The Associated Press reports that the rebels have been reluctant to disarm until they receive proper identification cards. They claim the president has discriminated against Muslim northerners and millions of immigrant workers from neighbouring countries.
The president's mandate officially expired in 2005 but his tenure has been extended twice with UN approval. Originally, voting was set for October 2005, then rescheduled for October 2006 and finally moved to October 2007. The new deal aims to have elections within 10 months.
The terms
While there are doubts regarding the implementation of the accord, there is still faith that this will put an end to the political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire.
According to Reuters, the new deal states that a transitional unity government will be established within five weeks, which will incorporate members of both sides. The country will also begin the process of issuing identity cards to those who need them. Assuming these terms are met, the rebels will disarm by year-end. A pro-government militia will also be demilitarized.
The pact also stipulates that the UN and French peacekeepers will be scaled down and that impartial forces will monitor checkpoints and observation posts. This will allow greater freedom for people to travel within the country.
