Ivory Coast's new army chief said today he was ready to negotiate to achieve peace in the West African country.
Colonel Philippe Mangou, former chief of army operations, said he regretted the deaths of nine French peacekeepers in a bombing raid this month and said he had given specific orders not to touch French or UN peacekeepers during the assault.
His comments come two weeks after commanding an assault on the rebel-held north which shattered an 18-month ceasefire.
"I am not a warmonger. I am in favour of a negotiated solution . . . the priority is reunifying Ivory Coast by negotiating, but without weakness," Mr Mangou said at a ceremony installing him as head of the armed forces in the main city Abidjan.
Outgoing army chief Mr Mathias Doue, seen as a moderate, appeared on state television in a hospital bed last night in an apparent attempt to quell rumours of a split in the army. He managed to attend the handover.
The bombing raids on the north of the world's top cocoa grower, seized by rebels after they failed to oust President Laurent Gbagbo in September 2002, raised fears of a full-blown civil war that could drag in neighbouring states.
One killed nine French peacekeepers and prompted the former colonial power to destroy most of the Ivorian air force. Violent mobs rioted for days in protest, causing some 7,000 expatriates to flee the country.