Mbeki, Nguesso urge African countries to implement peace treaties
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-02 10:55

South Africa and the Republic of Congo Thursday urged all parties in war-ravaged African countries to carry out peace treaties and end the continent's turbulence as soon as possible, said reports from the Congolese capital of Brazzaville.

In a joint communique released after South African President Thabo Mbeki's two-day state visit to Congo on Thursday, Mbeki and his Congolese counterpart, Denis Sassou Nguesso, called on Cote d'Ivoire's political factions to implement relevant resolutions approved by the African Union (AU) and the United Nations.

All sides should forge a consensus on who should be appointed the West African country's new prime minister as stipulated by a UN Security Council resolution, so that a new transitional government could be formed to make preparations for national unification and the next presidential election, said the two presidents.

In October, the peace process in Cote d'Ivoire was stalled when President Laurent Gbagbo's tenure expired.

In a resolution passed on October 21, the UN Security Council expressed its support for the AU's efforts to prevent the country from sliding into a new constitutional crisis, recommending a one-year extension for the Gbagbo administration and a new, more powerful prime minister to allow for fresh elections no later than October 30, 2006.

On the issue of Sudan, Mbeki and Nguesso urged all parties involved in the country's conflict to end hostile actions and boost the deadlocked peace talks, said the communique.

The two leaders also reiterated that they support the efforts made by the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for the country's 2006 general elections, it said.

During Mbeki's visit, he and Nguesso also vowed that the two countries will further strengthen their strategic partnership and expand fields for cooperation.