Ivorian bishop urges reconciliation after riots

ABIDJAN, Nov 2 (Reuters) -- The archbishop of Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan called on the faithful to pray on Thursday for all those killed in last week's ethnic and political violence, whatever their creed.

As the country's religious chiefs sought to foster national reconciliation, Roman Catholic bishops designated Thursday, the Day of the Dead, a national day of prayer for those killed, most of whom are believed to be Muslims.

"Muslims, Christians and followers of other religions alike have died," Bernard Agre told a mass in Abidjan's St Paul's cathedral attended by new Socialist President Laurent Gbagbo.

Gbagbo's wife Simone Ehivit, Defense Minister Moise Lida Kouassi and armed forces chief Mathias Doue, also attended.

"Before this pile of the dead, a spectacle unheard of in Ivory Coast, we are shameful and we ask for forgiveness," Agre said.

One human rights group put the death toll at nearly 500.

During the violence, security forces were accused of taking sides with Gbagbo's supporters against activists of former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, whose heartland is the Muslim north.

"We have all sinned in one way or another. Some gave orders, some carried them out," said Agre. Politics and religion should be kept apart or they would "inevitably become a time bomb," he said.

He urged Catholics to pay for repair works at mosques which were looted and burnt during the violence, and appealed to Muslims to do the same for damaged Christian churches.

Muslim leaders said they would also pray for "all the dead" in the mosques across the city on Friday, although they said there were no plans for a joint Muslim-Christian memorial.

A state funeral for the dead is being planned.

Scores of people were killed and hundreds injured in political and ethnic clashes that followed massive street protests which forced out army ruler General Robert Guei, who tried to rig the result of a presidential election Gbagbo won.

After Gbagbo claimed victory, supporters of Ouattara, who had been barred from the poll, took to the streets demanding a new election.

Ouattara's supporters clashed with those of Gbagbo, who has a large following in the Christian and animist west and south. Mobs carrying machetes and clubs attacked mosques and churches.

Muslims make up an estimated 25 percent of the population in Ivory Coast, while between 10 and 15 percent are Christian and the remainder follow traditional animist beliefs.

Gbagbo's new government on Wednesday set up a mediation committee for national reconciliation.

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