Annan set for summit on Côte d’Ivoire peace process next week in Ghana

Sustaining the momentum that was generated at a recent mini-summit on Côte d'Ivoire, leaders of neighbouring countries will meet again next week in Ghana's capital for a discussion of the peace process in the West African country, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today.

"I intend to join a group of African leaders next week in Accra for a summit on Côte d'Ivoire," he told a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

The peace process in Côte d'Ivoire, governed by the 2003 Linas-Marcoussis agreement which ended fierce fighting, has largely been deadlocked over differences of interpretation by President Laurent Gbagbo and the opposition Force Nouvelles.

Mr. Gbagbo suspended his support for opposition ministers in May and the Forces Nouvelles left the transitional government.

At the mini-summit two weeks ago in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the West African leaders reviewed the difficulties facing Côte d’Ivoire and discussed how to move forward.

On that occasion, the Secretary-General announced that a summit would be held in Accra on 29 July. "In the meantime, effective preparations will be made in consultation with all concerned so that the Accra meeting will be concrete, constructive and we should be able to leave Accra with sure and real achievements," he said.