An elders' group says they met with Ivory Coast's new president and the arrested strongman to urge reconciliation after months of postelection violence, AP reported. The delegation led by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan said Monday they met with President Alassane Ouattara and ousted strongman Laurent Gbagbo. They say they encouraged Ouattara to establish a truth and reconciliation body. The elders also asked the government to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit Gbagbo, his wife, and other detainees. Gbagbo is being held in the country's north after being arrested April 11. Gbagbo's refusal to cede power after losing a November poll plunged the country into four months of bloodshed that left thousands deaths and forced more than 1 million people to flee. -- SPA
