Kufuor appeals to SC to assist Cote D'Ivoire

Accra, Jan 30, GNA - ECOWAS Chairman President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday appealed to the UN Security Council to accept the proposals made by France to deploy peacekeeping troops to Cote D'Ivoire.

He said it had been the desire of ECOWAS for the UN to deploy peacekeeping troops to Cote D'Ivoire, adding: "I hope the Security Council will agree to the proposals by France to help consolidate the situation in Cote D'Ivoire."

President Kufuor made the appeal when Mr Mamadou Bamba, Ivorian Foreign Minister, paid a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu. He said he was happy that Cote D'Ivoire was reasserting herself under one government in the spirit and letter of the Marcussis Accord. President Kufuor said the sincere commitment of all the factions in the Ivorian crisis to the Accord would be the surest way to restore peace to that country.

He said the Ivorian Parliament was expected to study the terms in the Accord and hold democratic elections when normalcy returned to the country.

Mr Bamba said Ivorians were committed to peace and commended the efforts of ECOWAS under the leadership of President Kufuor and the international community to achieve the objective.

He said the efforts by these institutions had begun bearing fruits, the situation in parts of the country had improved and all members of the Interim Government had come together to implement the tenets of the Accord.

Mr Bamba said the security situation had also improved and disarmament and retrieval of arms was ongoing.