A top opposition leader in Ivory Coast has returned to the west African nation after three years in exile.
Alassane Ouattara arrived in Abidjan Wednesday, greeted by a small group of supporters and dozens of U.N. peacekeepers who will provide him protection.
He issued a call for unity and said he is returning to his country with "a lot of love."
Ouattara is a former prime minster and heads the Rally of Republicans party. He fled Ivory Coast for France three years ago after allies of President Laurent Gbagbo accused him of supporting northern-based rebels in the country's civil war.
Ouattara has said he will run in presidential elections scheduled for October.
Ivory Coast is divided between rebel-held and government-controlled areas. A peace deal to reunite the country has repeatedly stalled.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
