Ivory Coast's president Laurent Gbagbo is planning an official visit next month to the volatile west and northwest regions controlled by former rebels, the communications ministry said Tuesday.
The March 21 to 30 visit is the latest in a series by Gbagbo to territory controlled the former New Forces (FN) rebels, who staged a failed 2002 coup against him that effectively divided the country — with rebels commanding the north and parts of the west.
The trip marks Gbagbo's first visit to FN-controlled western areas since the failed coup.
Ivory Coast's west is still considered to be the most violence-prone part of the country because of the continuing presence of local militias and because it shares a border with Liberia, still struggling to recover from its own civil war.
Local militias, which number some 12,000 men, dominate large swathes of the west not under FN control and are allied to Gbagbo's forces.
In 2007, neighbouring Burkina Faso mediated a power-sharing agreement between Gbagbo and former FN rebel leader Guillaume Soro.
Under the peace deal, Soro become prime minister and a timetable was established for presidential elections that has since lapsed.
Elections were postponed several times due to problems with voter identification and registration.
No new voting date has been announced so far.
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