Brussels, 12/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, has welcomed the positive conclusion of direct dialogue between the main players in the Ivorian crisis, which gave rise, on 4 March, to the signature of a political agreement between President Gbagbo and the Secretary General of the New Forces, Guillaume Soro.
In a press release published on 7 March, the Commissioner declares (our translation): “I welcome the commitment of the Ivorian parties to seek a sustainable solution to the fundamental questions of identification, the reform of the defence and security forces, the DDR (disarmament, demobilisation and rehabilitation) and preparations for free and fair elections. I also welcome the efforts made by ECOWAS and the African Union for the peaceful conclusion of this process”.
The European Commission, which is part of the international working group for the Côte d'Ivoire, stresses that it will pay close attention to the implementation of this agreement and will not fail to support an ambitious and credible peace process. (an)