A South African mission appointed by President Thabo Mbeki arrived on Tuesday in Abidjan for consultative talks with President Laurent Gbagbo and Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny, officials said.
The South-African delegation, led by Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota and the deputy minister of foreign affairs, Aziz Pahad, were to enter into talks with Gbagbo first before meeting Banny.
They were also scheduled to hold discussions with the United Nations electoral chief in Côte d’Ivoire, Antonio Monteiro of Portugal.
The aim of the trip is assess the ”the global situation in Côte d’Ivoire” including the electoral process ahead of polls scheduled for October.
Mbeki’s envoys are expected on Wednesday to meet representatives of Côte d’Ivoire’s ruling party (FPI) and the main opposition parties.
They are also scheduled to travel to the rebel stronghold of Bouake to meet with rebel leader Guillaume Soro but the opposition said it ”will not be available for this meeting”.
The South African mission was decided and agreed upon last Saturday during Banny’s visit to Pretoria and two weeks after the international working group on Côte d’Ivoire decided against the extension of the mandate of the country’s Parliament.
The working group’s decision sparked violent protests across the country by a youth movement and groups of militias aligned to Gbagbo resulting in the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers and aid groups operating in the west of the country.
Members of UN agencies were on Monday assessing the security situation in the west in the aftermath of the clashes. – Sapa-AFP