Cease-Fire Brokered in Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast rebels agreed to a cease-fire Thursday in an offensive that has taken half the country in slightly more than two weeks, clearing the way for peace talks, West African mediators announced.
Foreign ministers from Ghana, Togo, Niger, Nigeria and Mali had flown into the heart of guerrilla-held territory to press for the cease-fire.
Speaking in the central city of Bouake, where the talks took place, negotiator Mohamed ibn Chambas said a cease-fire deal would be signed in the nation’s capital, Yamoussoukro, today.
It was not immediately clear how long the cease-fire would last, or what, if any, conditions were attached.
Disgruntled soldiers began an uprising Sept. 19 and have since captured Bouake and the northern opposition stronghold of Korhogo, as well as most of the northern half of the country.
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