AFP - Four African presidents panel on the Ivorian crisis were preparing to meet Tuesday in Abidjan, Alassane Ouattara, leader of the state recognized by the international community, following a meeting with his rival, incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, background violence.
On the second day of their visit, Idriss Deby (Chad), Jikaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Jacob Zuma (South Africa) and Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (Mauritania) should meet by mid-day with Mr. Ouattara at the Golf Hotel where he was entrenched with his team, his entourage said.
As to Mr. Gbagbo on Monday, the panel must submit to Mr.Ouattara's proposals to end by 28 February solutions "binding" on both sides.
According to a South African minister, the four Heads of State delegated by the African Union (AU) to resolve the crisis post-election power-sharing offer or an interim government until new elections.
The panel of mediators, which includes the South African President Jacob Zuma, "attempts to find a compromise solution, whether sharing the presidency between the two presidents or government (...) of interim until new elections, "he said Tuesday at the AFP Deputy South African Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Ibrahim.
"I do not think the panel looks for one or the other, both Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara, because it would lead to a destabilization of the country," said Ibrahim, interviewed on the sidelines of the session Parliament in Cape Town.
The panel met with Mr. Ouattara, originally scheduled for Monday evening, could eventually take place. In the entourage of Mr.Ouattara, we explained that he wanted to express his dissatisfaction and a lack of representation of West Africa in the delegation.
The Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore, a panel member, agreed to drop to travel to Abidjan for "security reasons": more than a thousand pro-Gbagbo youths were waiting at the airport the former mediator in the peace process Côte d'Ivoire (2007-2010) whom they accuse of being an ally of Mr. Ouattara and the former French colonial power.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which adopted a harder line that the African Union with the threat of force to dislodge Mr.Gbagbo has also strongly criticized the continuation of the visit of the panel cut one of its members
"The ECOWAS Commission was concerned to see that the panel has nevertheless decided to conduct the tour immediately without the participation of a senior member whose contributions to the peace process in Côte d'Ivoire are priceless and deserve better assessments and more respect, "she said.
For her, the situation on the ground was not "conducive to the holding of a mission of such importance."
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, James Victor Gbeho, who recently ruled sternly attempts to compromise with Mr.Gbagbo has also canceled his trip to Abidjan.
The new mediation occurs when the Ivorian capital is experiencing a resurgence of tension since the weekend.
After nearly three months of crisis, the camp Ouattara, inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, called on his people to take action to expel the president.
According to local newspapers, at least six people were killed Monday in clashes between supporters of very violent M.Ouattara and Forces for Defence and Security (FDS) loyal to his rival in the popular districts of Abobo (north), Kumasi and Treichville (south).
These clashes have resulted for several hours at the scenes of urban guerrillas, witnesses said.
The post-election violence killed at least 300 deaths since mid-December, the UN says.
