Ivory Coast: President Ouattara reappoints PM

Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara promised "a new departure" for French-speaking Africa's largest economy on Wednesday as he started to reshuffle the government following his landslide re-election last October. Ouattara, who won a second five-year term with nearly 84 percent of the vote, reappointed Daniel Kablan Duncan as prime minister and called for greater unity within the government. "We have started a new mandate that must mark a new departure in the direction of state affairs," Ouattara said at a meeting attended by journalists. "The objective is to establish a more unified government so that it can be more efficient." Earlier on Wednesday the government had handed in its resignation.

A senior official said ministers would be named over the coming week. Ouattara has promised to reduce poverty, promote ethnic and political reconciliation, write a new constitution and share the benefits of an economic boom more widely following nearly a decade of crisis that culminated in a civil war in 2011.. Ivory Coast is the world's top cocoa grower but many say they have not shared in wealth generated by economic growth rates of around 9 percent in each of the past three years. While more jobs are available and the minimum salary has increased, the cost of living remains high.