The president of the African Union Commission, Jean Ping, presented Saturday in Abidjan Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo and leaving his rival Alassane Ouattara, a "message" of the panel of mediators, which demanded "an immediate halt to killings ".
According to Mr. Ouattara, President recognized by the international community, it is an "invitation", he accepted at a meeting of the Council for Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU, scheduled for 10 March in Addis Ababa.
The visit of Mr.Ping comes as the outbreak of violence two weeks ago raised fears that the crisis arose from the November 28 poll will lead to a civil war.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) Saturday expressed readiness to "move quickly" against the perpetrators of crimes against the civilian population.
Seven women were killed by gunfire during a pro-Ouattara Thursday in Abidjan, in the district of Abobo (north). Witnesses, the camp Ouattara and the UN mission in the country, UNOCI, accused the Defence Forces and Security (FDS) loyal to Gbagbo.The Gbagbo government on Saturday rejected the blame on "terrorists" armed insurgents that FDS face in Abobo and which he says are supported by UNOCI.
Accompanied by the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the AU, Ramtane Lamamra, Mr. Ping met in the afternoon with Mr. Gbagbo at his residence.
He then found Alassane Ouattara at Golf Hotel in Abidjan where it is entrenched with the government under a blockade of forces loyal to his opponent, whose panel has called for the lifting.
Mr. Ping has not revealed the contents of the "message". But Mr. Ouattara said it consisted of an invitation to Thursday's meeting of Heads of State of the SPC."Of course, I accepted this invitation and all the arrangements (will be) taken for me to go there," he said.
Mr. Ping, who was to leave Abidjan on Sunday morning, then met with President of the Constitutional Council N'Dré Paul Yao.
Close to the outgoing President, Mr. Yao N'Dré is central to the post-election crisis that, while Mr Ouattara was declared winner by the electoral commission and the UN, the Constitutional Council struck down some of these results and proclaimed Gbagbo reelected.
Mr.Ping is sent by the panel of five African heads of state on the Ivorian crisis, which met Friday in Nouakchott under the chairmanship of Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (Mauritania) and in presence of Jacob Zuma (South Africa), Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Idriss Deby (Chad) and Blaise Compaore (Burkina Faso).
The group, whose findings were originally expected in late February, was finally in March to reach solutions "binding".
For now, the quintet has demanded "immediate cessation of killings" and protests that could "degenerate into disorder and violence."
The Security Council UN fears a "resurgence of civil war."After a failed coup, the fighting of 2002-2003 had divided the country into two, the north being in the hands of the former rebel New Forces (FN) now allied with Mr. Ouattara.
The violence has already killed 365 since late 2010, including 50 in a week, depending on the balance sheet prepared by UNOCI before the death of seven women in the neighborhood of Abobo, a stronghold of Mr. Ouattara.
The humanitarian situation is worsening further with the exodus of residents in Abobo and west, plagued by fighting between FDS and FN.
After a break occurred since Monday FN zone, electricity and water have been restored Saturday, residents said several northern cities.The Gbagbo government had relied on industrial needs, but the UN had denounced "an inhuman act with tragic consequences."
