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Annan welcomes Gbagbo-Ouattara talks

    ABIDJAN

    UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has welcomed recent discussions between the president of Cote d’Ivoire and the leader of the opposition Rassemblement des Republicains (RDR). In a statement issued on Friday by his spokesman, Annan said he was “encouraged by the public commitment of President Laurent Gbagbo and Mr Alassane Ouattara to reduce internal political tensions and work towards national reconciliation”.

    Ouattara, a former prime minister who was barred from the presidential race on the grounds that he did not meet nationality criteria, said he would support a peace pact proposed by Gbagbo at the talks.

    The RDR boycotted presidential and legislative elections in October and December in protest against Ouattara’s disqualification from both polls.

    The talks, which took place on 18 and 19 March in the Togolese capital, Lome, were facilitated by President Gnassingbe Eyadema, the current chairman of the Organisation of African Unity.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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