President Yoweri Museveni has proposed a referendum be held in Ivory Coast to solve the standoff between Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Dramane Ouattara who both claim to have won December’s election.
Museveni who was speaking after meeting his South-African counterpart Jacob Zuma said Cote d’Ivoire’s situation should be handled in the same way the South Sudan question was handled through a referendum.
Museveni who took a break from his campaigns for re-election as president in Uganda 18th February election arrived in South Africa on Friday for a two day state visit.
South Sudan early this month held a referendum on whether to secede or remain part of the bigger Sudan, as a climax of a five-year Comprehensive Peace Agreement which ended decades of war between the mostly Arab Muslim north and the black Christian south.
Museveni and Zuma held a news conference after a closed door meeting and said they will support an African Union led strategy on ending the standoff in Ivory Coast.
President Yoweri Museveni
Zuma says he however still wants ECOWAS the regional grouping for West Africa to take a more leading role.
The two leaders announced that South Africa and Uganda have signed several agreements in the area of agriculture, public works and infrastructure, social development and energy.
Zuma said the agreements will enable more collaborate Between Uganda and South Africa in areas such as HIV and AIDS, business and energy development.
A statement from the South African government says the memorandum of understanding on public works and infrastructure development includes cooperation on research and exchange programs for built environment, professionals such as artisans, architects and engineers, among others.