Cote d'Ivoire — The ECOWAS Commission is to send a team of experts to Cote d'Ivoire in October to assist the country in working out details of projects to be funded by China under the framework of an existing agreement between the regional organization and Beijing.
This will be followed by a visit to China by a joint delegation of officials of the ECOWAS Commission and the Government of Cote d'Ivoire to discuss the implementation of the projects as part of the regional body's post-conflict support to Cote d'Ivoire. This agreement was one of the outcomes of a three-day assessment mission by a high-level ECOWAS delegation to Cote d'Ivoire, headed by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador James Victor Gbeho.
The ECOWAS team met with Ivorian officials on how the regional organization could contribute towards resolving the country's post-conflict challenges. It was agreed that Cote d'Ivoire and other countries coming out of conflict in the region could be provided with resources under the European Union funded 10th European Development Fund (EDF), while in the short-term, the Government should be supported on security, national reconciliation and in addressing humanitarian challenges.
The parties also agreed to take necessary steps to launch activities that will culminate in the hosting of an Investment Forum pledged by ECOWAS for Cote d'Ivoire during the first quarter of 2012 as part of the organization's contribution to the country's economic revival. On agriculture, ECOWAS agreed to send a technical mission to Cote d'Ivoire not later than the middle of next September to finalize arrangements for providing regional support to this sector.
Both sides equally agreed to work towards the actualization of the decision of the just- concluded 66th session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers for the return of the headquarters of the African Development Bank (AfDB) to Abidjan as soon as possible. The three-day discussions also dealt with challenges pertaining to reintegration of refugees, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, collection of weapons and the reform of the security sector. Both sides also discussed the process of national reconciliation, legal proceedings and human rights, economic priorities, rehabilitation, support for regional integration, funding and coordination and the priorities in the humanitarian sector.
The parties agreed that Cote d'Ivoire should consolidate its requests for presentation to ECOWAS by the middle of September after which a delegation from the country would visit the Commission to finalize discussions on a comprehensive post-conflict support.
During the visit, the ECOWAS delegation met separately with various ministers and attended a workshop along with officials of the government from the Prime Minister's office, the ministries of African integration, planning, economy and finance, and the National Commission responsible for the implementation of the regional instrument against arms proliferation.
The ECOWAS team included Professor Lambert Bamba, Commissioner for macro economic policy, Mr. Celestin Talaki (Infrastructure), and Mr. Salifou Ousseini for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources. Also on the delegation were Commissioners Adrienne Diop (Human Development and Gender) and Mahamane Toure (Political Affairs, Peace and Security).
