The president of the African Union Commission, Jean Ping, arrived Saturday in Abidjan to meet with Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and leaving his rival Alassane Ouattara in full outbreak of violence in the country, officials said a source close to the AU.
Jean Ping arrived Saturday morning with the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the AU, Ramtane Lamamra. They must meet successively Laurent Gbagbo, Alassane Ouattara and the president of the Constitutional Council N'Dré Paul Yao ", told the AFP that source.
Sent by the panel of African leaders on the Ivorian crisis, Mr. Ping must give a "message" to Mr. Gbagbo and Mr.Ouattara, President recognized by the international community, including the AU.
Following a meeting in Nouakchott, the panel, chaired by Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (Mauritania), on Friday called for "an immediate end to killings" while the country is experiencing an explosion of violence over the past two weeks.
The Security Council UN fears a "resurgence of civil war" caused by the crisis resulting from the presidency in November.
Mr. Ouattara was declared winner by the electoral commission and the UN, but the Constitutional Council invalidated some of these results and Gbagbo declared elected.
