meeting on Cote dâ Ivoire, Kinshasa
16 March 2006
South African Foreign Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, will today
Thursday, 16 March 2006, at the conclusion of the South Africa-Democratic
Republic of Congo Bi-national Commission in Kinshasa proceed to Abidjan where
she will lead a South African delegation to the fifth meeting of the
International Working Group on Cote d'Ivoire scheduled for Friday, 17 March
2006.
Minister Dlamini Zuma's participation in the International Working Group
meeting comes within the context of South Africa's priority to ensure success
in the implementation of peace processes.
The Ministerial International Working Group on Cote d'Ivoire, is co-chaired
by Minister Rodolphe Adada of Congo-Brazzaville as chair of the African Union
(AU) and the special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General
Pierre Schori and includes Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Ghana, Niger, France,
United States of America, Britain, the International Monetary Fund, World Bank,
European Union, and Economic Community of west African States (ECOWAS) and is
tasked by the AU with evaluating, controlling and monitoring the implementation
of the Ivorian Peace Process.
This session of the working group meeting takes place in the context of the
recent summit of key Ivorian leaders - President Gbagbo, New Forces leader
Guillaume Soro and the two main opposition leaders Alassane Ouattara (Rally of
the Republicans) and Henri Konan Bedie (the Democratic Pary of Cote d'Ivoire) -
in Abidjan on 1 March 2006, during which all parties recommitted themselves to
the implementation of the peace process and the operationalisation of
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
The United Nations Security Council will receive a report from the
Secretary-General's Special Representative Pierre Schori, following which it
will review the progress made in the implementation of the peace process in
Cote d'Ivoire and preparations for forthcoming elections.
Contact:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
16 March 2006
Source: SAPA
