An Ivorian post

By Michael J.W. Stickings

In case you've been wondering about the latest developments in the Ivory Coast -- and I've received literally hundreds of imaginary e-mails from readers asking me, at long last, to do some Ivorian blogging -- here, in fact, is the latest:

Rebel leader Guillaume Soro has formally been named the prime minister of Ivory Coast.

Mr Soro will form a new government charged with taking the country to free and fair elections within 10 months.

Ivory Coast has been in crisis since Mr Soro's rebels seized control of the north of the country in September 2002.

Until recently the rebel leader was the sworn enemy of President Laurent Gbagbo and it is unclear how much power Mr Soro will have.

Okay, are we clear now? (FYI, here's a Q&A, as well as more on the power struggle and the peace plan, as well as profiles of Soro and Gbagbo.)