World Bank chief hails Ivory Coast 'progress'

Friday, 29 January 2010

The head of the World Bank hailed "progress" in Ivory Coast's political reconciliation efforts and promised assistance during a visit to the troubled West African state on Thursday.

World Bank President Zoellick

World Bank president Robert Zoellick also said the country was on track to having part of its foreign debt cancelled under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative set up last year. Zoellick spoke to reporters after meeting Prime Minister Guillaume Soro.

Ivory Coast is set to hold a presidential election this year aimed at ending a crisis that began with a failed coup in September 2002 that has left the country split between the rebel-held north and a government-controlled south.

The election has already been postponed six times. Zoellick arrived in Ivory Coast on Wednesday after visiting Sierra Leone and is next set to travel to Ethiopia as part of his tour.

Zoellick also unveiled a 20 million dollar job creation programme which he said would help ease massive unemployment in the west African country.

Wrapping up a two-day visit, Zoellick said "the issue of youth unemployment is critical and should be nipped in the bud."

"In this regard the World Bank will provide 20 million dollars for job creation," said Zoellick following talks with President Ernest Koroma.

He said in their discussions "it came out clearly that youth unemployment is a burning issue not only of development but also of security."

Zoellick said one of the main objectives of his visit was to see how the World Bank could assist in spurring growth in the electricity, health, mining and agricultural sectors.

"We will support small and medium-scale enterprises and create the infrastructure for connecting produce with the markets."

"In the case of West Africa, we will help to create sub-regional integration for fisheries, agriculture and mining co-operation and create an avenue which will be free of corruption for investors."

Sapa-AFP