State, rebels agree to refrain from hostile acts

Discussions continued on Friday in Lome, Togo, between delegations representing the Ivorian state and rebels. On Thursday, the two sides agreed to respect a ceasefire concluded on 17 October. In a communique read out by Togolese Foreign Minister Koffi Panou, the negotiators "enjoined their authorities to refrain from any bellicose acts such as abuses and violence [and] extra-judicial killings". Both parties to the conflict that has pitted the state against insurgents since 19 September have been accused of committing abuses. Victims have included West African migrants, some of whom have returned to their home countries. The authorities in both Burkina Faso and Mali have complained that many of their citizens were killed in Cote d'Ivoire in recent weeks. AFP quoted official sources in Ouagadougou, as saying that some 30,000 Burkinabe had fled Cote d'Ivoire since 19 September, when armed men including former members of the Ivorian military failed in a bid to overthrow President Laurent Gbagbo but took over parts of the centre and north of the country. Burkina Faso's government announced on Thursday that it was earmarking 20 million CFA francs (about US $25,000) for emergency assistance for the returnees, according to AFP. Civil society in Burkina Faso has also launched a fund raising campaign for them. In Lome, the two sides also agreed to refrain from "the recruitment and use of mercenaries, enrolment of children, and violations of the accord on cessation of hostilities". Each side had accused the other of using mercenaries. Each denied the other's claim. The delegations also "acknowledged the need to preserve territorial integrity, respect of institutions, and constitutional legality", according to the communique. On Thursday, members of the United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the attempted coup, stressing that they fully backed the country’s legitimate authorities, UN News reported. In a press statement, Council President Martin Belinga-Eboutou said the members called on all parties to resolve the crisis peacefully, abstain from any actions that might jeopardize the search for a negotiated solution, ensure respect for human rights and bring to justice all perpetrators of violations. Full statement