afrol News, 4 April - Guillaume Soro, the new Premier of Côte d'Ivoire has began moves geared towards forming a government of national unity. The former rebel leader of Forces Nouvelles (FN) based in northern Côte d'Ivoire city of Bouake is expected to name a new 33 member cabinet by next Friday.

Mr Soro’s appointment as Prime Minister quashed that of Charles Banny who was appointed by the United Nations in 2005. The move signals that the government of President Laurent Gbagbo and its northern rebels have thrown behind their differences in the interest of peace and development. Since 2002, the two parties have been at loggerheads until 4 March when they signed an accord to work together in the Burkinabe capital of Ouagadougou.

Prime Minister Soro thinks it is prudent to dialogue with officials of the opposition, rebels and government before he goes ahead to name a new government. In the process, he met the former Côte d'Ivoire President, Henri Kanane Bédié, who now heads the Democratic Party of Cote d’Ivoire. He also travelled to Bouaké, the north of the country, to hold meeting with Désiré Tagro, the spokeswoman of the FN rebel administration.

FN officials asked Ms Tagro to fly to Ouagadougou where their list of would-be ministers would be screened before they are finally issued. The Ivorian Premier is also expected to nail his tour by holding meeting with President Gbagbo in Abdjan.

Of the 33 ministers, 15 ministers will be drawn from the FN while the ruling party gets 18 ministers.

Under the Ouagadougou accord, elections should be held within 10 months after which Prime Minister Soro leaves office.

The breakthrough accord was signed without the intervention of the African Union and United Nations. However, the UN is concerned about lasting peace in a country that was formerly seen as the supermarket of West Africa. Consequently, the world body’s Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, will soon send expert missions to Abdijan and Ouagadougou to discuss the body’s role in new Côte d'Ivoire.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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