Ivory Coast disarmament talks fail

ABIDJAN – Ivory Coast loyalist and rebel military commanders have failed to agree on a cantonment programme in the divided west African state, scheduled to begin on that day and a prelude to oft-delayed disarmament, participants said.

Under a calendar adopted on July 9 by the two sides, July 31 was to mark the start of movement by loyalist and rebel forces to sites that had been chosen for the gathering together of troops. After talks ended between loyalist chief of staff General Philippe Mangou and rebel commander General Soumaila Bakayoko, participants said agreement had been reached at the technical level on the question of cantonment of forces but there were problems at the political level.”Each side chose its cantonment sites, we agreed on all the technical aspects, but unfortunately the (rebel) FN said they were not satisfied with the laws” adopted July 15 by President Laurent Gbagbo,” Mangou said.”We cannot expect a gathering together of troops tomorrow,” he said, adding that it would be necessary to wait for mediation by South African President Thabo Mbeki, as requested by the New Forces rebels.The military commanders met for a second day to iron out final details for the first stage of the disarmament and rehabilitation process after failing to reach agreement on Saturday.The talks were the latest to map out the disarmament operation, at the heart of the peace process to reconcile the country, the world’s top cocoa producer, after nearly three years of conflict.The state-run disarmament commission has come under fire from international partners including the World Bank for “insufficient preparation” for the exercise.Many cantonment sites, particularly in the north, are little more than roped-off fields with concrete slabs for tent bases and outdoor pumps where there are supposed to be latrines.Beyond the logistics of the operation, however, is a marked lack of confidence in the process, even with the spectre of presidential elections set for October 30 hanging overhead.Another layer of suspicion and mistrust was added with the attack last weekend on a loyalist town outside of Abidjan by unknown assailants.The weekend incursion, and a subsequent offensive by the national military, claimed 24 lives and sent some 30 people – many of them Malian and Burkinabe nationals, suspected of alliances with the northern rebels – into police custody.- Nampa-AFPAfter talks ended between loyalist chief of staff General Philippe Mangou and rebel commander General Soumaila Bakayoko, participants said agreement had been reached at the technical level on the question of cantonment of forces but there were problems at the political level.”Each side chose its cantonment sites, we agreed on all the technical aspects, but unfortunately the (rebel) FN said they were not satisfied with the laws” adopted July 15 by President Laurent Gbagbo,” Mangou said.”We cannot expect a gathering together of troops tomorrow,” he said, adding that it would be necessary to wait for mediation by South African President Thabo Mbeki, as requested by the New Forces rebels.The military commanders met for a second day to iron out final details for the first stage of the disarmament and rehabilitation process after failing to reach agreement on Saturday.The talks were the latest to map out the disarmament operation, at the heart of the peace process to reconcile the country, the world’s top cocoa producer, after nearly three years of conflict.The state-run disarmament commission has come under fire from international partners including the World Bank for “insufficient preparation” for the exercise.Many cantonment sites, particularly in the north, are little more than roped-off fields with concrete slabs for tent bases and outdoor pumps where there are supposed to be latrines.Beyond the logistics of the operation, however, is a marked lack of confidence in the process, even with the spectre of presidential elections set for October 30 hanging overhead.Another layer of suspicion and mistrust was added with the attack last weekend on a loyalist town outside of Abidjan by unknown assailants.The weekend incursion, and a subsequent offensive by the national military, claimed 24 lives and sent some 30 people – many of them Malian and Burkinabe nationals, suspected of alliances with the northern rebels – into police custody.- Nampa-AFP