Ivorian rebels rejoin government

Soro is attending the meeting despite being sacked

Ivorian opposition ministers and rebels have attended their first cabinet meeting after a four-month boycott.

The ministers, including rebel leader Guillaume Soro, left the power-sharing government after 120 people died during a banned opposition protest in March.

A recent peace summit in Ghana made the resumption of the cabinet a priority for the country to return to peace.

Ivory Coast has been split in two since a rebel movement seized control of the north in September 2002.

The BBC's James Copnall in Abidjan says the full cabinet meeting brings new hope for the Ivorian peace process and puts an end to the political stalemate created by the traumatic events in March.

Prime Minister Seydou Diarra said the meeting took place in a very agreeable atmosphere.

Return

President Laurent Gbagbo agreed to reinstate the three ministers - which he sacked two and a half months ago after they failed to show up to meetings.

Q&A: Ivory Coast deadlock

President Gbagbo had come under pressure from the international community to bring back the ministers.

The opposition coalition known as G7 also compromised on several of its demands in order to return to cabinet.

Our reporter says that by holding the cabinet meeting, the Ivorian political class are sticking to the timetable imposed on them by the Accra accords, which is a positive sign.

Peacekeepers have been trying to keep a lid on tensions

However, several challenges lie ahead he says, including voting in controversial laws on nationality and eligibility to run for president.

The former rebels are scheduled to begin disarmament on 15 October.

Elections are then due next year.

Some 4,000 French peacekeepers are monitoring the ceasefire line across the middle of the country, with some 6,000 more UN troops being deployed.