Terms of the agreement. The peace process in Ivory Coast has been making huge strides since the Ouagadougou peace accord was signed on March 4: first a joint committee was created to monitor disarmament of rebel forces and government militias; then Guillaume Soro, head of the Force Nouvelles, was named premier. The time has now come for withdrawal of the 11,000 soldiers—French troops along with the UN peacekeepers—from the buffer zone. The decision reached yesterday by the four generals carries enormous symbolic weight. It will bring unity to a country that looked as though it might not survive during the darkest days of the civil war.

Troop withdrawal. No deadline has been set for withdrawal of UN peacekeepers and French troops, but their presence in the country will make little sense after the dissolution of the buffer zone (particularly the UN peacekeepers). Just a few days ago, the UN mission in Ivory Coast announced that no troop reduction was being considered, but yesterday’s agreement will no doubt require a change of plans. The French contingent is in a somewhat different situation, since their presence in Ivory Coast is based on an agreement of military cooperation between Paris and Ivorian authorities. While some reduction is possible, French air forces may need to stay in the country to monitor the peace process, particularly during the early phases. Yesterday’s agreement may very well lead to an improvement in diplomatic relations between the two countries, which have been strained since the beginning of the civil war.

New government. Guillaume Soro will address the nation this evening for the very first time as its new premier. He will surely call for national unity and reconciliation even though not all of the country’s problems have been solved. Despite the progress of recent months, the future still holds serious challenges. The much debated process of identifying the population has derailed all previous efforts to reach an agreement, and elections—now set for next October—have already been put off twice in the past two years. But the political will to resolve the crisis on the part of Soro and President Laurent Gbagbo is a hopeful sign for the current peace plan. Starting on Monday, Ivory Coast will once again be a true nation.