SG/SM/10248
AFR/1297
7 December 2005
Secretary-General Welcomes Appointment of Charles Konan Banny As Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire
NEW YORK, 6 December (UN Headquarters) -- The following statement was issued on 5 December by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
The Secretary-General welcomes the appointment of Charles Konan Banny as the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire for the transition period. The Secretary-General congratulates the Ivorian parties on this important first step in implementing the African Union decision of 6 October 2005 endorsed by the Security Council in its resolution 1633 (2005). He is particularly grateful to Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Tandja Mamadou of the Niger, who contributed so much to this decision.
The Secretary-General urges the parties to cooperate fully with Mr. Banny and encourages his Government to move without delay, working with the International Working Group to implement the road map for the transition period and interacting with the High Representative for the elections to resolve the stalemate in the Independent Electoral Commission.
The Secretary-General commends the outgoing Prime Minister, Seydou Diarra, for his tireless efforts in the cause of peace for his country.
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