US appeal for Ivorian elections

President Laurent Gbagbo has promised new elections

US Deputy Secretary of State, John Negroponte, has urged the political leaders in Ivory Coast to follow up on a peace deal and hold elections.

The peace deal which was signed in March officially ended a civil war in the once stable country. Former enemies, President Laurent Gbagbo and ex-rebel leader Guillaume Soro forged an unlikely partnership with Mr Soro appointed prime minister.

But since then there has been little progress towards unification and polls.

"The road ahead will be a difficult one but it is not an impossible one," Mr Negroponte told journalists after two days in Ivory Coast.

"Now is the time to make real progress on the critical issues of identification, election planning, and disarmament and reintegration of the military."

Identity issue

The BBC's West Africa correspondent Will Ross says that about a quarter of Ivory Coast's population can trace their roots back to neighbouring countries like Mali and Burkina Faso because in the 1960's and 70's people were encouraged to move to Ivory Coast to work as farmers.

But in recent years identity has been a divisive issue and the question of who is Ivorian and has the right to vote has been central to the country's problems, our reporter says.

Last week, the government announced that immigrants no longer needed residence permits which it said would hopefully help unite the country's citizens.

But as the country moves, albeit slowly, towards elections, some analysts worry that the issue of ethnicity could flare up again.

Over the weekend a former president, Henri Konan Bedie, criticised the government for a lack of progress towards elections and accused President Gbagbo of delaying the process in order to remain in power.

In October, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed serious concern over the pace of the peace process in Ivory Coast, fearing it could threaten the country's stability.