The Cote d'Ivoire government army on Thursday failed to reach
agreement with anti-government forces over several military issues
regarding the disarmament plan in the capital Abidjan.
This round of military talks, presided over by Cote d'Ivoire
Defense Minister Rene Aphing Kouassi, brought together the
government army chief Philippe Mangou, the anti-government forces
chief of staff Soumaila Bakayoko and other senior officials.
In the talks, the anti-government forces put forward several
requests, which included the formation of a joint staff department,
that they retain their military ranks, and that the anti-government
forces be paid and given appropriate provisions. All of these
requests were turned down by the government army.
The two sides have decided to hold another round of talks in
Abidjan on July 6.
In a press conference after the talks, Kouassi said a dialogue
mechanism had been established between the two sides and their
differences of opinion would not have an impact on the overall
peace process for Cote d'Ivoire. He called on the two sides to
speed up the talks and try to mend their rifts based on the
principle of restoring peace to the country.
Disarmament is a key precondition of the presidential election
which is due by October in Cote d'Ivoire. The country has been
locked in a civil war which started after a failed coup in
September 2002.
The government signed the Marcoussis agreement with
anti-government troops in 2003, but both sides have repeatedly
failed to lay down arms in the past. The country has since been
divided into the government-ruled south and the rebel-held
north.
(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2006)
