Ten months after an armed rebellion split the Ivory Coast in two, military chiefs from the national army and former rebel forces have announced that the war is over. In a hastily convened and highly symbolic ceremony at the presidential palace, former rebels handed President Laurent Gbagbo a Kalashnikov rifle in a sign they are finally ready to disarm. They are ready to recognise the man they tried to oust only a few months ago. It seems a timely visit by an influential UN delegation overseeing the peace process has persuaded both sides to have another stab at peace. Just days ago, the former rebels announced a state of emergency in territories under their control. They also said they were suspending disarmament in the wake of an assassination attempt on one of their ministers last week. Full Story