Talks between rebels and government resume in Lome

Closed-door talks between the government of Cote d'Ivoire and the rebels resumed in the Togolese capital, Lome, on Wednesday, a source in Lome told IRIN.

The two groups went to the discussions after holding separate meetings with the mediator, Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema early Wednesday, the source said.

The talks which were to begin on Monday were delayed when the rebel delegation failed to show up in Lome and threatened to pull out of the talks if their political demands such as the resignation of President Laurent Gbagbo and fresh elections were not included in this round of talks.

The government said it was ready to listen to 'all demands' by the rebels but noted it would not 'commit suicide'. It demanded that the rebels lay down their arms.

According to the source, the rebels on Wednesday proposed the inclusion of representatives of the civil society "clearly in that capacity without any affiliation to either the government or the rebel side", and also that of the heads of political parties.

In a related development, defence chiefs of the Economic Community of West African States were set to start a meeting on Wednesday afternoon in the Nigerian capital Abuja to discuss the composition of a peacekeeping force to be deployed in Cote d'Ivoire.

The military leaders represent nine states which have pledged some 2,386 troops to monitor a ceasefire between the government and the rebels, AFP said. The peacekeepers will take over from a French force which was deployed to the country to protect expatriates following a September 19 uprising and stayed on to monitor a ceasefire agreed on October 17.