The warring sides of Cote d'Ivoire agreed on disarmament Saturday, with the West African nation's army and rebel chiefs vowing to withdraw heavy weapons from front lines beginning on April 21. (Photo: Xinhua/AFP)

    ABIDJAN,, April 16 (Xinhuanet) -- The warring sides of Cote d'Ivoire agreed on disarmament Saturday, with the West African nation's army and rebel chiefs vowing to withdraw heavy weapons from front lines beginning on April 21.

    The "withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line" marks the first step for a disarmament campaign to be launched from May 14 to July 31, according to a joint statement issued after talks in the rebel's stronghold of Bouake.

    "The war is over," declared Philippe Mangou, chief of the government forces, at the end of Saturday's meeting with rebel commanders.

    The long-awaited disarmament was announced after two representatives of the rebel forces attended a cabinet meeting hosted by President Laurent Gbagbo on Friday.

    Rebel leader Guillaume Soro and six other representatives, however, did not return.

    Gbagbo praised Sports Minister Michel Gueu and State Minister of Territorial Administration Issa Diakite for rejoining the government after a five-month boycott.

    In a statement published on Saturday, Gbagbo expressed confidence in seeing an early end to the protracted political crisis under an agreement reached on April 6 in Pretoria, South Africa.

    He reaffirmed full commitment to the peace deal and the elections slated for October.

    The country has been divided between a rebel-held north and loyalist south since September 2002, when a failed coup to oust Gbagbo erupted into a civil war. Under the mediation by the United Nations and France, the government and rebel forces held several rounds of negotiations last year. Enditem