Talks clouded by killing of rebel negotiator's brother

The death of the brother of a senior member of Cote d'Ivoire's rebel Mouvement patriotique de Cote d'Ivoire (MPCI) cast a shadow over talks between the rebels and a delegation designated by the Ivorian government, prompting the insurgents to suspend the negotiations at the weekend.

Benoit Dacoury-Tabley, a medical doctor, was found dead on Friday in Abidjan, one day after he was taken from his clinic in the Ivorian commercial capital by men in police uniforms, according to some media reports; by men in civilian clothing, a spokesman of the family said on Monday. On Wednesday, his elder brother Louis Dacoury-Tabley, a former national coordinator of President Laurent Gbagbo's ruling Front Populaire ivorien (FPI), had announced that he had joined the MPCI.

The elder Dacoury-Tabley is the MPCI's coordinator of foreign relations. At the time of his brother's death, he was participating in the talks in Lome, brokered by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The assassination was deplored by ECOWAS which recalled, in a communique, that the government and rebels had agreed to "abstain from any bellcose act such as exactions, extrajudicial executions, the recruitment and use of mercenaries, the enroling of child soldiers as well as violations of the agreement on the cessation of hostilities".

The ceasefire agreement was concluded on 17 October, close to one month after a mutiny accompanied by the occupation of key hinterland towns marked the start of the MPCI's insurgency.

ECOWAS added: "It is therefore with strong emotion that (the mediators) had learnt, while the peace negotations were on the point of bearing fruit in Lome, of the assassination of Dr. Benoit Dacoury-Tabley".

"They deplore this act which can only keep up a climate of mistrust that could compromise the efforts undertaken to bring peace and national cohesion back to Cote d'Ivoire. Within the framework of efforts by the government of Cote d'Ivoire to consolidate the rule of law, the mediators would like it to seek the perpetrators of this assassination and quickly take appropriate judicial action against them".

ECOWAS called on both sides to make all arrangements needed to guarantee the peace and safety of populations, in particular in areas under their control.

At a press conference in Lome on Saturday, MPCI Secretary-General Guillaume Soro said there were frequent exactions, night-time arrests, and assassinations of persons suspected of collaboration with the MPCI. He said these seemed to be part of a plan to sabotage the peace talks.

He said the MPCI had "unilaterally decided to suspend its participation in the negotiations so as to enable it to mourn (Dacoury-Tabley) and all the anonymous victims" of the security forces.

On Monday, Reuters quoted another MPCI representative as saying that the rebel delegation could resume negotiations within 48 hours.

In Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire's minister responsible for defence, Bertin Kadet, said no member of the security forces was involved in Dakoury-Tabley's killing, which was deplored by the government in a communique on Friday. The government said President Laurent Gbagbo had ordered the security forces to observe and respect the 17 October truce but that the rebels had violated it on a daily basis.

"After many incursions by the rebels in the zones under governmental control, aggressions and summary executions of persons have been noted" in various localities under MPCI control and in Abidjan. It said the killings were aimed at jeopardising the Lome negotiations.