African leaders began talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Tuesday aimed at finding a resolution to the four-year-old political crisis that has rocked troubled Côte d’Ivoire.
Heads of state from eight of the 15 members of the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC), alongside embattled Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny, were meeting at the pan-African body’s headquarters.
They were studying recommendations submitted by West African leaders at a summit earlier this month on how to resolve the crises that have split Côte d’Ivoire into two since a failed 2002 coup to oust Gbagbo.
The proposals called for the extension of Gbagbo’s and Banny’s terms in office, which were due to expire at the end of this month when twice-delayed elections were to be held.
The recommendations by the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP), called for the transition period to be further extended by year.
”[Ecowas] heads of state and government took note of the imminent expiration of the transition period on October 31 2006,” it said.
”Considering that the planned election cannot be held as scheduled, they recommended that a new transition period, not exceeding 12 months should be established, commencing from November 1 2006,” it said.
A senior AU diplomat, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said those proposals will ”definitely be endorsed, and strengthened by the PSC”.
A similar extension was accorded by the United Nations last year, prolonging Gbagbo’s mandate — scheduled to end by last October at the expiry of his five-year term — by one year until presidential and general elections are held.
Over the weekend, the UN announced it would postpone the planned elections for up to a year, and predicted a new Security Council resolution would be passed in a fresh bid to secure peace.
The Ecowas proposals also outlined the terms of office for Gbagbo and Banny, as well as reforms needed to create a unified armed force.
”President Gbagbo shall remain the head of state until the end of the transition period,” they said.
”The prime minister shall also have necessary authority over the defence and security forces to enable him to achieve the tasks assigned to him,” they said.
In addition to the internal Ivorian recommendations, the leaders at Tuesday’s meeting are expected to discuss the future of mediation efforts by South African President Thabo Mbeki.
Ecowas is pressing for Mbeki’s departure, diplomats said, because he is seen as too close to Gbagbo to fulfil his function.
The outcome of Tuesday’s discussions will be submitted for consideration by the UN Security Council, which is to discuss the matter on October 25. — Sapa-AFP