Military

DATE=16/01/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT (S)

TITLE=FRANCE/IVORY COAST

NUMBER=2-298465

BYLINE=PAUL MILLER

DATELINE=PARIS

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Peace talks on Ivory Coast continue in a Paris suburb under a news blackout, but there are reports of sharp differences among the participants. Paul Miller has the latest from Paris.

TEXT: The French press agency quotes a source in the talks as saying the rebels and the leader of the political opposition, Alassane Ouattara, denounced the government of President Laurent Gbagbo for human rights violations and for its concept of Ivorian nationality.

Government supporters, who are mostly from the south, have argued that Muslims and others from the north of the country, now controlled by the rebels, are foreigners, not citizens. During the 2000 election a number of candidates were ruled ineligible because of nationality questions. They included Mr. Ouattara, whose parents were from Burkina Faso.

Rebel leader Guillaume Soro told the French press agency that the identity and nationality issues are being discussed Thursday.

The government and its opponents have already publicly disagreed on whether there should be new elections as part of a political settlement to the four-month-old civil war. (Signed)

NEB/PM/KL/MAR