§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to assist the peace process in Cote d'Ivoire; and if he will make a statement. [153350]
§ Mr. MullinThe UK fully supports the Linas Marcoussis Agreement (LMA) as the basis for sustainable peace in Côte d'Ivoire. Our engagement has included £4 million to help fund regional peacekeepers 1157W and £800,000 in humanitarian aid. We welcome the progress made in the peace process since December 2003. We continue to urge all parties to proceed quickly with full implementation of the LMA, including the programme of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration. We are supporting the early deployment of a UN peacekeeping operation to Côte d'Ivoire to assist this.