Annan welcomes results of West African summit meeting on Côte d'Ivoire

Following "with deep concern" the developments in Côte d'Ivoire, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the results of a regional summit held over the weekend to address the recent volatile developments in the country.

In a statement by his spokesman, the Secretary-General hailed the outcome of the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) Extraordinary Summit held in Accra on Sunday, supporting its call for the insurgents to cease hostilities and for all parties to work towards a negotiated settlement to avert further violence.

More clashes would carry humanitarian consequences that "could be disastrous for Côte d'Ivoire and the entire subregion," the statement warned.

The Secretary-General also called on the international community to support the ECOWAS peace initiative and contribute to the creation of a conducive environment for a peaceful outcome of the crisis, according to the statement. He affirmed the UN's readiness to support ongoing subregional efforts to resolve the crisis.