Cote d'Ivoire: Leaders And People of CÔte d'Ivoire Hold Key to Peace -- Annan

New York — Côte d'Ivoire's leaders and people hold the key to lasting peace in their country, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today in Paris, where the parties have signed an accord aimed at ending their months-long conflict.

Speaking at a joint press conference with French President Jacques Chirac and South African President Thabo Mbeki, Mr. Annan, who grew up in neighbouring Ghana, recalled his impressions of Côte d'Ivoire. "The Ivory Coast I knew was a peaceful Ivory Coast, which was an island of stability in the region," he said, noting that currently, the country "is in turmoil and in distress, and it is something that most of us in the region would never have expected."

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