NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga will join a delegation of West African leaders returning to Ivory Coast to persuade incumbent Laurent Gbagbo to cede from power peacefully.
An African Union statement Sunday says that Odinga will fly to Nigeria to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan, who also heads the West African bloc of countries known as ECOWAS. They will then meet with Gbagbo and the presidents of Benin and Cape Verde in Ivory Coast Monday.
The AU says that Odinga’s presence will help strengthen political efforts.
The U.N. declared Alassane Ouattara the winner of Ivory Coast elections, endorsing the announcement by the country’s electoral commission.
Presidential elections were intended to help reunify the nation. However, tensions over the disputed outcome have sparked violence.
