Negotiations continue despite accusations

Negotiations in Lome, Togo, between delegations representing the Ivorian state and Mouvement patriotique de Cote d'Ivoire (MPCI) rebels resumed this week despite accusations by the insurgents that loyalist forces were moving troops closer to rebel areas and that Ghanaian President John Kuffuor had agreed to help his Ivorian counterpart against the MPCI.

The allegations, made by MPCI Secretary-General Guillaume Soro at a news conference on Saturday, were refuted by the head of the governmental delegation, Laurent Dona Fologo.

Soro claimed that Kuffuor had agreed to let Gbagbo use Ghanaian territory to outflank the rebels in northeastern Cote d'Ivoire and attack them from Ghana, and that the Ghanaian leader had placed 70 to 100 members of his armed forces at the disposal of the Ivorian military. he also alleged that Cote d'Ivoire had asked France to withdraw from the buffer zone between in central Cote d'Ivoire between the loyalist forces and the insurgents, who have occupied much of the north and centre of the country, in order to launch an offensive. The French troops have been monitoring a ceasefire signed on 17 October by the insurgents and accepted by the government.

Dona Fologo denied the claims, which he described as "baseless rumours", adding: "We believe with patience, humility and openness in the Lome negotiation", which began on 30 October.

"There is no question of resuming hostilities, nor will there ever be," Dona Fologo said. "The government of Cote d'Ivoire does not want to see another drop of blood shed on our soil." The Ivorian authorities, he added, were sticking to the path of negotiations.

News organisations reported that a fresh proposal aimed at ending the conflict was presented to the two sides on Sunday by President Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, who is mediating in the crisis. An earlier proposal had been rejected by the rebels on Friday.