The European Union has vowed to provide financial support to Cote d'Ivoire to help keep ex- combatants in barracks in the run-up to the Oct. 31 presidential elections in the West African country.
The EU is ready to continue its involvement in the process to end the political crisis in the country, the bloc's emissary Yves Gilletan said on Wednesday.
"We are in talks with the government, and we are ready to help face the recurrent expenses concerning the barrack lodging," Gillet said,
adding the EU intervention centres on "the budget of function."
The EU support came after the country unveiled the election date recently, a sign of relief after a series of postponements.
The EU-backed operation to keep ex-combatants in barracks is deemed a key step to disarmament and reunification of the army.
In a separate development of the day, the ex-rebel New Forces (FN) said its military wing had entered the central city of Bouake to
"consider" demobilization and reinsertion.
"We have the preoccupations linked with the aspect of the demoralization of our combatants and the reinsertion of those who are already demobilized," announced FN spokesman Bamba Sinima.
The regrouping operation involves the integration of 5,000 ex- rebels into the national army and the demobilization of nearly 20, 000 others
under a "program of national civil service".
According to FN army Chief Soumaila Bakayoko, an estimated 5.5 billion FCFA (11 million U. S. dollars) is needed for the operation. The FN said a previous move to camp the ex-combatants in the northern town of Korhogo met with financial and logistical problems.
Cote d'Ivoire plunged into war following an attempted coup by the FN in 2002. The country has been divided ever since with the government
controlling the south and the FN holding the north, although the civil war lasted only one year. The country was expected to hold its first
post-war election on 2005, but failed to do so amid differences over disarmament and reunification.
A voter list crisis in February became the latest in a series to postpone the vote, with the government and the electoral commission dissolved
in the month. The situation returned to normal weeks later.