Ivory Coast's rivals agree to meet over crisis

05/01/2011| IslamWeb

Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo has agreed to further talks over a bitter election dispute and has promised to lift a blockade around the temporary headquarters of rival Alassane Ouattara, regional bloc ECOWAS said on Tuesday.

"Mr. Laurent Gbagbo agreed to negotiate a peaceful end to the crisis without any preconditions. He also pledged to immediately lift the blockade around Hotel Du Golf, the temporary headquarters of Mr. Alassane Ouattara," ECOWAS said in a communiqué.

PHOTO CAPTION

Ivory Coast's presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara (front, blue tie), Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma (red tie), Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga (2nd L), and Benin's President Boni Yayi (L) are seen after their meeting at Golf Hotel in Abidjan January 3, 2011.

Reuters