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President Thabo Mbeki as chairperson of the African Union, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will today - Friday, 24 January 2003 - depart South Africa to attend a special Summit of Heads of State on the situation in the Ivory Coast from Saturday, 25 January - Sunday, 26 January 2003, in Paris, France.

The Summit of Heads of State will follow a session of negotiations between the Ivorian government, political opposition groups and representatives of the three rebel groups, which opened in Paris on 15 January 2003.

The Summit of Heads of State will seek to sanction the outcome of this negotiation session.

It is envisaged that President Mbeki, together with his French counterpart, President Chirac, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan, will co-chair the meeting

The attendance of President Mbeki follows his attendance of two earlier summits of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Côte d'Ivoire, held in Accra, Ghana on 29 September 2002 and Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on 23 October 2002.

For further information contact: Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853 or Bheki Khumalo on 083 256 9133

Issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs, 24 January 2003