- Title: FRANCE/IVORY COAST: IVORY COAST PEACE TALKS GET UNDERWAY IN PARIS.
- Date: 15th January 2003
- Summary: (U4) PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 15, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. GV/PAN: EXTERIOR OF KLEBER CONFERENCE CENTRE; SECURITY OUTSIDE 0.08 2. GV: FRANCIS WODIE, DELEGATE FROM THE IVORIAN WORKERS PARTY, COMING OUT OF KLEBER CENTRE 0.16 3. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRANCIS WODIE, DELEGATE FROM IVORIAN WORKERS PARTY, SAYING "It's clear that if each party holds on to its position, there will not be an agreement. We need at least a minimal agreement on the basis of which peace can return and the problems can be solved." 0.30 4. MV: POLICEMEN OUTSIDE KLEBER CENTRE 0.36 5. MV: JOURNALISTS SURROUNDING DELEGATE 0.38 6. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) EMILE CONSTANT BOMBET, DELEGATE FROM THE IVORY COAST DEMOCRATIC PARTY, SAYING "This meeting, which I'm calling the meeting of our last chance, must allow each Ivorian who wants peace to put aside his egotism to think of the future of this country, of the daughters and sons of this country, and to put out a hand for a true reconciliation so we can face the real problems which are poverty and underdevelopment." 1.02 7. CU/ZOOM/GV: INTERIOR OF KLEBER CENTRE WITH DELEGATES SITTING AT TABLE 1.10 8. GV: IVORY COAST PRIME MINISTER PASCAL AFFI NGUESSAN SHAKING HANDS WITH REBEL REPRESENTATIVES 1.24 9. gv: FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN ARRIVING AND SHAKING HANDS WITH DELEGATES 1.28 10. GV/PAN: PAN OF DELEGATES AROUND TABLE 1.36 11. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN SAYING "All the Ivorian forces are joined together here and it is your responsibility together to find solutions to the crisis that is hitting your country so hard." 1.52 12. GV: WIDE OF CONFERENCE 1.56 13. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) REBEL FROM IVORY COAST PATRIOTIC MOVEMENT, GUILLAUME SORO, SAYING "We have come here in a calm mood, in hopes that the atmosphere will remain rational and that discussions will be efficient. (Reporter question: Have you asked for the resignation of (Ivory Coast President Laurent) Gbagbo?) Listen, the debate is not yet open, but I can tell you that our demands have not changed, we hold on to them." 2.15 14. GV: MEDIA SCRUM 2.18 15. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English and French) EXILED OPPOSITION LEADER FOR THE RALLY OF THE REPUBLICANS PARTY, ALASSANE DRAMANE OUATTARA, SAYING: "I hope peace will come. We have to have peace. Ivorians are suffering, they've suffered too much." 2.26 (U4) LINAS-MARCOUSSI, FRANCE (JANUARY 15, 2003) (REUTERS) 16. GV: VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF RUGBY CENTRE WHERE TALKS WILL BE HELD, WITH SECURITY (3 SHOTS) 2.43 (U4) BOUAKE, IVORY COAST (JANUARY 15, 2003) (REUTERS) 17. GV/MV: REBELS AT CHECKPOINT; REBELS WITH MACHINE GUNS; REBELS OUTSIDE HEADQUARTERS; REBEL ON TOP OF TRUCK WITH MACHINE GUN (7 SHOTS) 3.15 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 30th January 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS AND LINAS-MARCOUSSI, FRANCE AND BOUAKE, IVORY COAST
- City:
- Country: Ivory Coast France
- Reuters ID: LVADZG4PTBFOVVBEKF1498YCPWG1
- Story Text: The Ivory Coast peace talks have started in Paris, with
the presence of all political and rebel groups involved in the
crisis.
Ivory Coast political party chiefs and rebel leaders
began talks in Paris on Wednesday (January 15, 2003) aimed at ending
a four-month war in the world's top cocoa-producer that risks
plunging West Africa into turmoil.
Ahead of the meeting, delegates expressed both concern and
hope.
"It's clear that if each party holds on to its position,
there will not be an agreement. We need at least a minimal
agreement on the basis of which peace can return and the
problems can be solved," said Francis Wodie, a delegate from
the Ivorian Workers Party.
"This meeting, which I'm calling the meeting of our last
chance, must allow each Ivorian who wants peace to put aside
his egotism to think of the future of this country, of the
daughters and sons of this country, and to put out a hand for
a true reconciliation so we can face the real problems which
are poverty and underdevelopment," said Emile Constant Bombet,
a delegate from the Ivory Coast Democratic Party.
At an opening ceremony, French Foreign Minister Dominique
de Villepin kept up pressure from the former colonial ruler
for delegates to reach a deal to end bloodshed which has left
hundreds dead and split the country along ethnic lines.
"All the Ivorian forces are joined together here and it is
your responsibility together to find solutions to the crisis
that is hitting your country so hard," Villepin, who brokered
the talks, told the gathered delegates.
But rebels repeated their call for Ivory Coast President
Laurent Gbagbo to step down, saying his election in 2002 was
unfair and insisting that early polls were the only way to end
bloodshed which has left hundreds dead and split the country
along ethnic lines.
Guillaume Soro, leader of the largest rebel group, the
northern-based Patriotic Movement of Ivory Coast (MPCI), told
reporters his group's goals had not changed.
"I can tell you that our demands have not changed, we hold
on to them," he said.
Exiled opposition leader for the Rally of the Republicans
Party, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, however, expressed more hope
that peace would eventually be found.
"I hope peace will come. We have to have peace. Ivorians
are suffering, they've suffered too much," he said.
After the opening ceremony, the delegates were set to head
to a secluded, wooded estate in Linas-Marcoussis, some 30 km
(20 miles) south of the capital where they were due to get
down to negotiations behind closed doors.
President Gbagbo has said he was confident the closed-door
negotiations, dubbed a "Camp David" bid by ex-colonial power
France to create peace, would let him regain authority over
rebel-held areas.
Hopes the scheduled nine days of talks would end in
success grew when two western rebel factions signed a truce
with the government on Monday (January 13), joining the MPCI
which had agreed a ceasefire in October.
But while Gbagbo has pledged an amnesty for the rebels and
acknowledged there would have to be changes in the government
following any settlement, divisions remain deep. Gbagbo has
rejected rebel demands to resign and members of his government
have insisted that the country's constitution prevents him
from calling early legislative elections.
The war in what was once seen as a haven of stability in a
troubled region began with a failed coup on September 19.
France has appointed ex-government minister Pierre
Mazeaud, now a leading constitutional expert, to chair the
Paris talks. The naming of someone no longer active in French
politics to preside over the talks, together with their
location outside Paris, are seen as moves by France to
pre-empt any accusations that it wants to impose a solution of
its own in a country where it has major business interests and
some 20,000 expatriates.
If the meeting between the rebels and the political parties
results in a deal, the Ivorian president is expected to fly to
Paris for a January 25 summit with other African leaders to
ratify the accord.
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