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Francophone Leaders Urge Ivory Coast to Renounce Violence, Abide by Peace Deals

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Francophone heads of state are urging Ivory Coast's warring parties to renounce violence and strictly abide by a French-brokered peace accord meant to return stability to the divided nation.

Leaders of French-speaking nations wrapping up their summit in Burkina Faso Saturday, also condemned deadly attacks by the Ivorian military against northern-based rebels.

The resolution denounced atrocities against foreign nationals in Ivory Coast and the civilian population earlier this month.

Airstrikes against Ivorian rebels shattered a shaky truce and killed nine French peacekeepers and an American aid worker. The attack prompted France to wipe out Ivory Coast's small air force, leading to days of anti-French violence in the capital, Abidjan.

Ivory Coast's President Laurent Gbagbo did not attend the Francophone summit, which was to focus on sustainable development but shifted to the crisis in Ivory Coast.

Rising tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan's western Darfur region, were also debated during the two-day gathering.

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