科特迪瓦總統瓦塔拉呼籲結束戰爭

Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara is calling on all fighters to lay down their weapons now that defiant leader Laurent Gbagbo has been captured. In a national address Monday night, Mr. Ouattara called for peace in a nation where four months of post-election violence has killed hundreds of people and displaced up to a million.

The U.N. human rights office said Tuesday that at least 536 people were killed in recent fighting in western Ivory Coast.

Mr. Ouattara said former president Gbagbo, his wife Simone and other close associates are in custody and that they will be treated with dignity and brought to justice. The 69-year-old leader also vowed to set up a truth and reconciliation commission to hold those who committed human rights abuses and other crimes accountable.

Pro-Gbagbo forces and fighters loyal to Mr. Ouattara have both been accused of killing and raping civilians since the political crisis began in December.

科特迪瓦總統瓦塔拉說，既然目空一切的領導人巴博已經被擒，他呼籲所有武裝人員放下武器。瓦塔拉在星期一晚間發表全國講話時呼籲和平。科特迪瓦在選舉後四個月中發生的暴力事件已經導致數百人死亡，多達一百萬人流離失所。

聯合國人權理事會星期二說，至少有536人最近在科特迪瓦西部的戰鬥中喪生。

瓦塔拉說，前總統巴博、其妻西蒙娜、以及其他親密同伴現在被拘押，他們將受到尊嚴的對待，並將被繩之以法。現年69歲的瓦塔拉還誓言成立真相與和解委員會，來處理那些侵犯人權和犯下其他罪行的人。

自從這場政治危機12月開始以來，親巴博的部隊和忠於瓦塔拉的部隊都被指控殺害和強暴平民。