The signing of the draft Agreement negotiated by the major political parties
and the three rebel groups in Paris is just the beginning of a long and
delicate process of restoring peace and stability in CI.

As news filters as to who, among the various factions, got what, out of the
Agreement, demonstrators start gathering in the French Army barracks to
express their disagreement with the Agreement. The french contingent had to
resort to using tear gas to disperse the growd.

Although the appointment of 69 year old Seydou Diarra, a former PM under the
Military Government of the late General Guie and a retired diplomat was
generally welcomed, the revelation that the main MPCI rebel group negotiated
their way into securing the Interior and Defense position in the new cabinet
did not sit well with supporters of Gbagbo in the Abidjan area.

The difficult process of managing the stabilization process has just
started, and as both Cherac and Kofi Annan warned the Ivoirian politicians
during the Paris meeting, the onus is on them to make the Agreement work by
ensuring that both the letter and spirit of the Agreement are upheld by all
parties.

Sidi Sanneh

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