Saudi ambassador found dead

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire, Mohammed Ahmad al-Rasheed, was found dead on Friday in the economic capital Abidjan. Sources told IRIN he was found lying in a pool of blood on the 15th floor of the building where he lived, two floors down from his apartment. The circumstances surrounding his death were not immediately clear. Al-Rasheed, who took up his post in December 2002, was the first Saudi ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire. He lived in Abidjan's business district of Plateau, site of all ministries, government institutions and numerous foreign representations. The Ivorian government on Friday issued a statement of condolence to the Saudi monarchy and the family of the slain diplomat, condemning his killing as a "barbaric act". It said an inquiry has been launched to find those responsible and that Prime Minister Seydou Diarra had gone to the scene to inquire about the situation. Meanwhile, rebel representatives were absent for the third time in a row from Thursday's weekly cabinet meeting of Cote d'Ivoire's newly formed government of national unity, that was held in Abidjan.