Government delegations from Nigeria and Ghana were due in the Togolese capital, Lome, on Monday for preliminary talks on the crisis in Ivory Coast, Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema told AFP by telephone.
The heads of state of countries in the regional 15-member Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) decided on Sunday at an emergency summit meeting to set up a contact group to mediate in talks between the Ivorian government and rebel soldiers who have held the central city of Bouake and a cluster of towns in the north since a rebellion 11 days ago.
The contact group will be made up of Eyadema, and the presidents of Ghana, John Kufuor; Guinea-Bissau, Kumba Yala; Niger, Mamadou Tandja Mamadou Tandja; and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.
South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki will also be part of the group, in his role as president of the African Union (AU).
”On Monday, the delegations from Nigeria and Ghana are expected in Lome for a first round of discussions, a preparatory meeting. The foreign and defense ministers of each country” were expected, Eyadema said.
”These delegations will then travel on to Abidjan,” he added, without giving details.
”Once a ceasefire has been negotiated between the two camps, a ‘buffer’ force will be necessary to enforce it,” Eyadema said.
”In the light of what we know about the situation on the ground, I believe a force of around 300 people will be sufficient,” he said.
The heads of state who mete in Accra decided to send a west African peacekeeping force to Ivory Coast, to act as a buffer between the government and rebels.
”We are not in a position of weakness. The rebels say they want to talk, and so do we. We must find a peaceful solution,” Eyadema said.
”I have said from the beginning that if Gbagbo did not want to talk to the rebels, I would be prepared to negotiate with them. Now, there are six heads of state who will negotiate collectively,” he said. – Sapa-AFP