Cote d'Ivoire gov't to resume talks with Gbagbo's supporters

The Cote d'Ivoire government will resume dialogue with the opposition FPI, the party of ex-president Laurent Gbagbo, an official source said on Tuesday.

"In the cabinet, we have taken a decision to resume contact with the opposition in an official manner," Prime Minister Jeannot Ahoussou Kouadio said after meeting with resident Alassane Ouattara.

The dialogue began after the post-election crisis between the new regime and supporters of the ex-president. It was suspended before the legislative elections in December 2011.

The FPI demanded the release of its detained officials including Gbagbo and his wife Simone Gbagbo and the recomposition of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI).

Gbagbo's supporters felt dissatisfied when they saw their demand had not been met, especially after he was transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). They then decided to boycott the legislative elections which were won by Outtara's party.

In The Hague, Gbagbo is facing charges of "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity" committed in the post-election violence between November 2010 and April 2011.

"The government will henceforth open talks with our brothers and sisters from FPI, we shall discuss and we shall send them an official letter asking that we resume talks," said the new prime minister, who was appointed on March 13 after his predecessor Guillaume Soro was elected as the speaker of parliament.

"It's important that Cote d'Ivoire citizens sit down and talk to each other and we should be promoting the well-being of this population which has greatly suffered due to the division and misunderstanding between brothers and sisters," Kouadio said.