Amnesty for Ivory Coast conflict

The new PM (l) must now work with the president, his former foe

Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo has signed a law giving amnesty for crimes committed during the civil war.

The amnesty, part of a recent peace deal, applies to both the New Forces rebels and the armed forces loyal to President Gbagbo.

Last month human rights group Amnesty International condemned Ivory Coast's "climate of impunity" and said both sides were guilty of large-scale rape.

A BBC correspondent says there will be no local prosecutions for such crimes.

Any on-going prosecutions are to be dropped immediately, and prisoners convicted of crimes covered by the amnesty will be released.

Economic crimes are a notable exception, as they are not covered by the amnesty.

Fears

The BBC's James Copnall in Ivory Coast says the new law will go some way to reassuring both sides that they can move forward in the peace process without fear.

Significantly, the amnesty is backdated to September 2000.

That means that crimes committed by loyalist soldiers before the war broke out will also be wiped off the slate.

The amnesty law is one of a number of measures aimed at bringing the country to free and fair elections within 10 months.

Two weeks ago, rebel leader Guillaume Soro was named prime minister, and next Monday the removal of a buffer zone between the belligerent parties is due to begin.

But our correspondent says the man Mr Soro replaced - Charles Konan Banny - voiced the fears of many Ivorians when he told the BBC he thought both Mr Soro and President Gbagbo had hidden agendas behind their apparent drive to peace.

Ivory Coast, previously the richest state in West Africa, has been split in two since rebels seized the north in 2002.