Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo: «I am a happy man.»

© Ministère Française des Affaires Étrangères

afrol News, 5 March - For the first time in years, national and international observers are genuinely optimistic about the possibilities of a peace process in Côte d'Ivoire. The government of President Laurent Gbagbo and his rivals of the ex-rebel Forces Nouvelles signed a peace deal in neighbouring Burkina Faso yesterday that may create a more credible transitional government and finally break the deadlock in the split country.

President Gbagbo met Forces Nouvelles leader Guillaume Soro in Ouagadougou, the Burkinabe capital, during the weekend. While Mr Gbagbo earlier has accused the Burkinabe government of supporting Mr Soro and fuelling the civil war in Côte d'Ivoire, it may seem the Ivorian leader was caught by the good mood felt all around Ouagadougou as it celebrates its African film festival, Fespaco.

The results of the meetings between President Gbagbo and Mr Soro, mediated by Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaoré, were in fact surprisingly positive for Ivorians and the international community. According to the deal, a new transitional government with stronger powers is to be established and finally, the voter registration issue that includes rights of non-nationals is to be sorted out.

While widely ignoring the country's traditional parties - strongly opposing President Gbagbo in his southern stronghold - the deal seems able to address the physical north-south split of Côte d'Ivoire, personalised since 2002 by Mr Gbagbo and Mr Soro's Forces Nouvelles, which still control the northern half of the country. The agreement gives President Gbagbo freedom to redirect military spending into social programmes that could win him votes in the south.

Within five weeks, a new power-sharing government is to be established, where mainly the Forces Nouvelles and the President's party will have the saying. Importantly, the two strongmen of the north and the south agreed on a joint army command and a buffer zone between the two parts of the country, which give both a chance to cut military budgets while still in control of each their part of the country.

Given these conditions, President Gbagbo finally felt able to give in to the strongest demand against him from the opposition, ex-rebels and the international community. The two sides agreed on a timetable for a massive voters' identification programme and on who shall be able to vote at Ivorian polls. Millions of non-registered citizens and persons believed to be foreigners have so far not been admitted into the electoral register.

Given the large number of failed peace agreements in Côte d'Ivoire since civil war broke out in 2002 - many being imposed on the country by foreign powers - one could not expect much optimism after the Ouagadougou deal between Mr Soro and Mr Gbagbo. But Ivorian and foreign observers nevertheless feel that "this may be the one" achieving peace in the former economic giant of the region.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today was full of praise for the deal - and for the Burkinabe mediation, in itself a sign of a better regional climate. Mr Ban had been "especially pleased to note that the agreement addresses the key issues that had blocked progress on identification of the population, disarmament, reform and restructuring of the armed forces, restoration of State authority throughout the country, reunification of the country and the preparation of the voters list, in order to ensure credible, free and fair elections," a UN statement said.

Analysts in particular noted that for the first time, a deal had been struck that would include Mr Soro's ex-rebels in the Ivorian armed forces. And, not the least, that President Gbagbo was given a better position to promote his party in the Ivorian south - both as a peace and unity bringer and as a leader that now can spend more funds on development programmes popular among voters.

Also the two protagonists of the deal told the Ivorian press they had reached a marvellous conclusion upon returning home. "I am a happy man," President Gbagbo told the press, with Mr Soro adding "I am visibly happy."

Nevertheless, there are still many traps in the new deal. The many political parties opposing President Gbagbo's rule in the south may step up anti-government campaigning if left aside in the new transitional government. And the question remains what the deal means for the 11,000 UN and French peacekeepers monitoring the conflict zone, which are unpopular among both Mr Soro's and President Gbagbo's followers but have prevented open conflict for several years.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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