An African Union (A.U) bid to end the crisis in Ivory Coast would include a meeting on Saturday between South African President Thabo Mbeki and President Blaise Campaore of Burkina Faso, Mbeki's office said. Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has accused Campaore's government of backing rebels holding the north of his country. Mbeki has been mandated by the African union to seek peace in Ivory Coast that shares its northern border with Burkina Faso and where violence flared amid growing anti-French and foreigner sentiment last weekend. Opposition leaders from Ivory Coast, among them exiled former Ivorian prime minister Alassane Outtara and opposition party leader Alphonse Djedje Mady, arrived in Pretoria for talks with Mbeki on Thursday. Rebel leaders had by Saturday not taken up Mbeki's offer amid reports that key armed groups in Ivory Coast were not willing to talk while Gbagbo remained in power. While consultations continued Friday, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his role as chairman of the A.U., invited regional leaders for a weekend summit on the crisis in Ivory Coast. The political leaders of Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali and Libya were expected to attend the summit set for Sunday, as well as the Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, according to Obasanjo's office. --more 1407 Local Time 1107 GMT
