Jabou, Frankly the situation has gotten out of control despite the efforts of ECOWAS. Gbagbo has been under heavy pressure from the loyalists in Abidjan not to give in to the rebel demands to negotiate at the disappointment of members of the ECOWAS Contact Group who has since left for their respective capitals to brief their Heads of State. Reports indicate that there is fighting in and around Bouake which the loyal forces are trying to recapture from rebel control. Civilians are reported fleeing the area which will not only add to the ever increasing refuge problem but will cause more civilian casualties. My personal assessment is that the conflict has the potential of engulfing not only CI but the entire sub-region if immedia te resumption of the negotiations does not take place. The neighbouring countries are getting increasingly concern about their own border security and understandably so. Let us hope that peaceful resolution is found, and soon. Sidi Sanneh ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~