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Warring factions agree on next week start date for disarmament programme

[Cote d'Ivoire] Zuegen Toure (left), the leader of the GPP pro-Gbagbo militia group in Cote d'Ivoire, with Moise Kore (right), his "Defence Minister," and a group of GPP volunteers at their training centre in a commandeered primary school in Abidjan in Oc IRIN
Zuegen Toure (left), GPP leader, in October 2004.
    ABIDJAN

    Leaders of the two sides in Cote d’Ivoire’s conflict, government forces and rebel fighters, on Thursday agreed to start disarmament and dismantlement of pro-government militias next week, in what is the first step towards handing in weapons and ending a four-year crisis.

    “The date has been scheduled for the disarmament and dismantlement of the militias which is to begin on the 8th of June,” said Defence Minister Rene Aphing Kouassi.

    In a joint statement after two days of talks in the capital Yamoussoukro, the opposing forces also agreed to regroup loyalist and rebel fighters once the so-called pre-regroupment phase - which involves pulling fighters back from the front line - is finished.

    At regroupment, rebel and government militia fighters will be identified ahead of a weapons handover. No date has been set for the actual turning over of weapons.

    A failed coup in September 2002 split Cote d’Ivoire between a rebel north and government controlled south. After years of internationally brokered negotiations the two sides have yet to hand in a single weapon. Elections are due to take place in October.

    PB/ SS

    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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