Rebels refuse to meet UN envoy

Rebels in Cote d'Ivoire refused to meet a UN special envoy on Thursday to discuss their withdrawal from a broad-based government of national reconciliation in protest at the refusal of President Laurent Gbagbo to give it adequate powers. But signs of a split in the rebel camp emerged when Roger Banchi, one of nine rebel ministers in the coalition government, disobeyed the movement's orders and turned up for a cabinet meeting anyway. Banchi, who represents the Ivorian Popular Movement of the Great West (MPIGO), one of three partners in the rebel alliance, made no comment to journalists as he left the meeting in the presidential palace. He is Minister of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. The eight other rebel ministers have all returned to the rebel capital Bouake, 380 km north of Abidjan in central Cote d'Ivoire, following a decision by the rebel movement on Tuesday to suspend its participation in the government and freeze plans to disarm. Rebel forces have occupied the northern half of Cote d'Ivoire since a failed coup 12 months ago plunged the country into civil war. A French-brokered peace accord in January led to their joining a government of national reconciliation in April. But since then, mistrust between the rebels and Gbagbo has continued to run deep. The rebels' decision to suspend their participation in the cabinet and block progress on disarmament, has dashed hopes that the government will be able to restore its authority in the north soon. Most schools and hospitals have been closed there for the past year. Those civil servants who stayed at their posts remain unpaid and the closure of banks has stifled commerce. Diplomats fear that if the country remains divided for much longer it could suffer permanent partition, although the rebels have consistently denied plans to declare a separate state in the north. The UN Secretary General's Special Representative to Cote d'Ivoire, Albert Tevoedjre, chaired a crisis meeting of the committee set up to monitor implementation of the peace agreement on Wednesday night. Afterwards he requested an urgent meeting with the rebel leadership. But rebel spokesman Sidiki Konate, told IRIN by telephone from Bouake that the rebels, who are now officially known as "The New Forces" had rejected the proposal. Guilaume Soro, secretary general of the Patriotic Movement of Cote d'Ivoire (MPCI), the largest and most influential of the three rebel movements, meanwhile attacked French ambassador Gildas le Lidec. Soro, who is also Minister of Communications, accused the ambassador of "giving in" to Gbagbo and failing to demand strict implementation of the January peace agreement. Cote d'Ivoire, the most prosperous country in West Africa, is a former French colony. France has 4,000 peacekeeping troops stationed in the country to keep the government and rebel forces apart.