Ivory
Coast is to reopen its land and maritime borders with Ghana, more than
two weeks after they were shut following a deadly cross-border attack.
Ivorian Defence Minister Paul Koffi Koffi said both countries had
tightened security along the border "with the aim of stopping all
incursions." Several people died when gunmen attacked an Ivorian army
checkpoint in the border town of Noe on 21 September.
Officials blamed exiled supporters of ousted President Laurent Gbagbo.
Ivory
Coast responded by closing land, air and sea borders with Ghana but
restarted flights between the two countries a few days later.
The border closure has blocked the main transport route along the Gulf of Guinea, stretching from Ivory Coast to Nigeria.
In
a statement broadcast on state TV, Paul Koffi Koffi said: "President
Alassane Ouattara decided that from Monday at seven in the morning the
land and sea borders will reopen."
After a contested election
in 2010, Mr Gbagbo refused to accept defeat to President Ouattara, who
eventually ousted his rival with the help of former rebel forces, the UN
and former colonial power France.
Mr Gbagbo is currently in The Hague, awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.
However,
many of his supporters are living in exile across the border in Ghana
and have been blamed for a string of attacks in Ivory Coast.
Ghana has promised to help investigate the attacks.
AfricaNews Monitoring Team with file from BBC
Ivory
Coast is to reopen its land and maritime borders with Ghana, more than
two weeks after they were shut following a deadly cross-border attack.
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