The U.N. Security Council renewed a plea to government and rebel leaders in Ivory Coast on Friday to fulfill their obligations under a peace agreement to ensure that planned October elections are peaceful, Reuters reported. The demand came a day after South Africa, which is mediating in the peace process, warned that it may ask the 15-nation council to impose sanctions on those parties it views as blocking the agreement's implementation. South African President Thabo Mbeki is mediating on behalf of the 53-nation African Union. A council statement called on both sides to the agreement to "implement it fully and without delay." But Japanese Ambassador Kenzo Oshima, the council president for August, said that while both parties were at fault, it was his impression "that more problems arise from the rebel side." South African Defense Minister Rene Amani will travel to New York Aug. 31 to bring the council up to date on the latest developments in the mediation effort, Oshima said. He spoke with reporters following a closed-door briefing on Ivory Coast from senior U.N. peacekeeping official Hedi Annabi. --more 2322 Local Time 2022 GMT
