According to President Gbagbo, the last government-hired mercenaries will leave the Ivory Coast on 4 January. French foreign minister de Villepin, would also be leaving Abidjan the same day, after a 48-hour visit. At a joint news conference, both men told the press that the faltering peace process would gain a new lease of life and Gbagbo vowing to rein in government forces. 

That same day, 28 peacekeeping troops from Benin, Ghana and Togo arrived at Abidjan airport, and a flight carrying 21 Senegalese soldiers arrived about 45 minutes later. The rebels have also hinted that they would not immediately launch an attack on key positions, giving France a chance to first intervene. With so much love suddenly in the air, the French government announced that they would host a conference in Paris on settling the crisis on 15 January 2003. - Adam Geibel