OAU delegation due in Ivory Coast on Monday

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (Reuters) -- Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema is due to visit Ivory Coast on Monday at the head of an Organization of African Unity (OAU) delegation in a bid to ease a political crisis in the country, officials said.

Eyadema was due to arrive in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan on Monday morning, Honorine Kouman, communications adviser to military ruler General Robert Guei, told Reuters.

Kouman said Eyadema, who currently holds the chair of the OAU, may be accompanied by some of the other seven heads of state who attended a special OAU summit on Ivory Coast held in the Togolese capital Lome on Sunday.

The leaders present at Sunday's meeting instructed Eyadema to mediate in a political deadlock in cocoa-producing Ivory Coast, which is due to hold a presidential election on October 22 to restore civilian rule after a military coup in December.

The crisis is focused on the eligibility of presidential candidates under strict nationality requirements introduced by a constitution adopted by referendum in July.

Guei, himself a presidential candidate, did not attend the Lome meeting, citing security reasons. He said last week that he had been the target of an assassination attempt.

His junta slapped a travel ban on Ivorian politicians ahead of the election.

South Africa's Thabo Mbeki and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria were among the other heads of state present in Lome. It was not clear whether either would be part of the delegation visiting Ivory Coast.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

See related sites about Africa

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.