President Obasanjo leaves meeting

Journalists covering the ECOWAS Summit to find ways of moving the Marcoussis and Accra Peace Accords on La Cote d'Ivoire forward on Tuesday saw President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria leaving the meeting hall while the session was in progress.

Soon after President Obasanjo left, all the other Heads of State followed and they left the scene of the Summit without speaking to the media.

President Obasanjo; President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso; President Mamadou Tandja of Niger; President Gnasssingbe Eyadema of Togo; President Mathieu Kerekou of Benin; President Gbagbo and the Host, President John Agyekum Kufuor, ECOWAS Chairman, held the meeting to address concerns of the Ivorian New Force (Rebels) in connection with the implementation of the Accords.

They were expected to discuss the concerns and resolve the impasse over the selection of Ministers for the National Security and Defence portfolios.

Also on the agenda was the security for members of the New Force that are serving in the government of Prime Minister Seydou Diarra, who was also at the meeting.

Members of the New Force had withdrawn from the Government following disagreement over the selection of the two Ministers and fears about the Security of their Ministers.

The meeting was also expected to thrash out a seemingly mistrust between President Gbagbo and President Compaore. The Ivorian President has accused the Burkina Faso President of supporting the New Force.

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