President Laurent Gbagbo and visiting French defense minister Michele Alliot-Marie met in an effort to rekindle implementation of the peace agreement. The defense minister said that French troops would deploy across the country, but only if the ongoing reconciliation process produces results.
The ECOWAS executive secretary of the west African regional bloc warned this weekend that the reconciliation process in Ivory Coast is in danger and accused Ivorian leaders of undermining a peace deal. Ibn Chambas was speaking before Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo on Sunday urged his supporters to mount protests against the rebel groups which were brought into government under an ECOWAS-mediated peace deal. - Adam Geibel