New Ivorian PM named

Charles Konan Banny recently named prime minister of Côte d'Ivoire by African mediators. The head of the West African central bank will lead the divided country toward elections sometime in 2006.

Under the U.N. resolution 1633, Mr. Banny will have expanded powers he will need to get northern rebels and southern militias to disarm.

Though it remains to be seen if the powers that be in the country will allow him that authority. His predecessor as interim head of government, Seydou Diarra, was stymied by the bureaucracy.

Critically, the regime, the political opposition and the rebels gave Banny's nomination their blessing. Though it remains to be seen how the xenophobic, criminal and nominally pro-government Jeunes patriotes militias will react. They haven't been particularly accomodating to previous peace deals and are overtly hostile to fair treatment toward Ivorians from the north of the country.

While I wouldn't go so far as to be optimistic that the step will improve the toxic political atomsphere in the country, I can certainly hope.