President Advises on Peaceful Resolution of Ivorian Crisis

President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged all parties to the civil crisis in Cote d'Ivoire, to continue to pursue the path of dialogue and negotiations in finding a peaceful resolution to the dispute. He gave the advice in his office in Abuja, Nigeria, recently when a delegation of the Patriotic Movement of Cote d'Ivoire (MPCI) paid him a visit. He assured the movement of the support of ECOWAS for the Marcoussis Accord and confirmed that Nigeria, as a member of the ECOWAS contact group on Cote d'Ivorie, will ensure its full implementation.

The leader of the MPCI, who led the delegation, Mr. Guillaume Soro thanked President Olusegun Obasanjo for receiving them and stated that his movement is committed to the Marcoussis Accord. He commended the positive role that Nigeria has continued to play in the Ivorian crisis and hoped that President Obasanjo will remain personally involved in the ECOWAS peace initiative. Earlier, the MPCI delegation met with Ghananian President John Kufour, Chairman of ECOWAS, and at the meeting, suspended an ultimatum it issued to President Lorent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire.