PARIS, Nov 15 (AFP) - Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade has agreed that
his country will lead the peace force from the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) in strife-torn Ivory Coast, a source close to the
Senegalese presidency told AFP in Paris on Friday.
"At the request of Paris and Washington, President Wade has agreed to
increase the number of Senegalese troops that will form part of the ECOWAS
force from 650 to 700," one of his advisors said.
"But the president is doing this on condition that he may revise the
composition of the force, which comprises soldiers from several countries,"
he added.
Traditionally, the country which contributes the greatest number of
troops to an ECOWAS force leads the mission.
The West African force in Ivory Coast, which is meant to replace French
troops monitoring a four-week old ceasefire, will consist of 1,264 soldiers
from Senegal, Ghana, Togo, Niger and Benin.
It will be funded by France, the United States, Britain, the
Netherlands, Belgium, Canada and Germany.
Wade's advisor said the Senegalese president was also prepared to take
over the role of mediator in peace talks between the Ivory Coast government
and rebels who took up arms against it on September 19.
The talks opened in the Togolese capital Lome on October 30 with
Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema as chief mediator, but have been
deadlocked almost since the start.
"As the negotiations in Lome have failed, President Wade is prepared to
mediate between the rival Ivorian sides but on condition that he is the
sole mediator," the source said.
Senegal holds the presidency of ECOWAS and negotiated the ceasefire the
two sides signed last month.
It became involved in that process after an ECOWAS ministerial committee
tried and failed to get the government and rebels, who control about 40
percent of Ivory Coast, to sign a truce.
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