Diamonds, gold and guns

Both sides in the divided country exploit the underground economy to pay for fresh weapons

Another round of regional negotiations has failed, a credible election is impossible by the deadline of 31 October and the international and regional organisations look increasingly ineffectual. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has endorsed an extension of President Laurent Gbagbo's time in office by another year and nothing useful is expected from the African Union's crisis meeting on Côte d'Ivoire which started on 17 October.

Article Tags:
Laurent Gbagbo, France, Atabou Bodian, Senegal, Alex Vines, British, Jean-Pierre Witty, Canadian, Elrick Irastorza, Philippe Mangou, Belarussian, Robert Montoya, François Mitterrand, Ethiopian, South Africa, Australia, Pascal Affi N'Guessan, Kofi Annan, China, Russia, Mamadou Koulibaly, Liberian, Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson, Charles Konan Banny, Bohoun Bouabre, Licorne, Licorne, Belspetsv Technika, gendarmerie, Front Populaire Ivoirien, Licorne, Banque Nationale d'Investissement

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