Clinton urges dialogue between rivals in Ivory Coast
iVORY COAST: Visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told
Ivory Coast's president Tuesday that he could only cement peace in the
war-torn country by pursuing dialogue across the political divide.
"This is a crucial moment in the history of Cote d'Ivoire. The
country is making a steady and hopeful return to peace and security,"
Clinton said after talks with Alassane Ouattara in the commercial
capital Abidjan.
"Securing these gains -- for Cote d'Ivoire and the region -- will
take hard work," Clinton said at a joint press conference with Ouattara.
"In the months and years ahead, it will be especially important to
include all voices, even dissenting ones, in political dialogue."
Washington was one of Ouattara's strongest supporters during the
standoff with his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo, whose refusal to quit
after his defeat in a November 2010 election triggered unrest which left
around 3,000 people dead.
Gbagbo is now in The Hague awaiting trial by the International
Criminal Court for crimes against humanity for his alleged involvement
in the violence.
Clinton is on the first visit to Ivory Coast by a senior US official
since the end of the deadly political crisis, part of a tour of west
Africa which has already taken her to Liberia and will include a visit
to Togo and Cape Verde. AFP
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