West African leaders began talks in the Nigerian capital on Friday aimed at breaking a political deadlock in Cote d’Ivoire that threatens to further destabilise the country.

A key issue to be resolved is the status of President Laurent Gbagbo. A United Nations-backed peace plan extended his term in office by one year until the end of this month. Elections were to have taken place before then, but rebels failed to disarm and the government halted the identification of undocumented Ivorians.

The rebels and the political opposition want Gbagbo to be replaced by a transitional, collegiate presidency. Gbagbo insists he should remain in office until new elections are held.

Cote d'Ivoire has been split into a rebel-held north and a government-run south since a failed coup against Gbagbo in September 2002 triggered a brief civil war. About 10,000 UN and French peackeepers monitor a buffer zone between the north and south.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, declaring the meeting open, said the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire has preoccupied the West African region for the past three years.

“I believe with the opportunity we have today we will be able to reach conclusions which will lead to permanent peace,” Obasanjo said.

Mamadou Tandja, president of Niger and chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said the UN expected specific proposals from the leaders.

“Concrete proposals must be adopted to lead to democratic elections in Ivory Coast," he said.

Pierre Schori, the UN special representative in Cote d’Ivoire, said on Wednesday that he expected tough measures to end the crisis.

“The truth demands now that courageous decisions be made to get out of the crisis,” he said on Wednesday after meeting with Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore.

Leaders from Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Liberia, Senegal and Togo are attending the meeting, while others in the 15-member ECOWAS sent senior officials. Leading Ivorian political actors, including former president Henri Konan Bedie and one-time prime minister Alassan Ouattara were also in Abuja. It was not immediately clear if rebel leader Guillaume Soro was attending.