Ivorian ex-rebels begin to disarm

In a sign that further progress was being made in Côte d'Ivoire’s (Ivory Coast) march towards comprehensive peace and reconciliation, the rebel force ‘New Force’, based in the north of the country, began to disarm. Cote D’Ivoire Prime Minister and former rebel leader Guillaume Soro congratulated the fighters for starting the disarmament process and said the disarmament sent a “strong signal” that the peace accord signed in Burkina Faso last year was being implemented. About 43,000 rebels are expected to lay down their arms over a five-month period at six demobilisation centres in the northern and western parts of the country in a process Ivorian Defence Minister Michel Amani Nguessan termed as “irreversible” and move that should represent an end to the state of mistrust that has loomed over the country since the crisis began.

http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=05/06/2008&qrTitle=Cote%20D%E2%80%99Ivoire%20rebels%20start%20to%20disarm&qrColumn=FOREIGN