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Côte d'Ivoire

African Union in new move to end Ivory Coast crisis

Source: Reuters // Reuters

* Panel members' decisions will be legally binding

* Ivorian rivals must meet face-to-face - Odinga

* African diplomacy "not about the use of force"

(Recasts with new plan to end crisis)

By Richard Lough

ADDIS ABABA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - The African Union said on Friday it would form a panel of heads of state to solve the leadership crisis in Ivory Coast which would come up with a legally binding settlement within one month.

The world's top cocoa grower has been paralysed by a power struggle stand-off following a November election. U.N.-certified results showed that opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara won but they were overturned by a top legal body and incumbent Laurent Gbagbo has resisted calls to step down.

Read the full article on Reuters-Alertnet.