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The AU envoy made the overture upon his return from mediation in the political crisis in Cote d’Ivoire, where both Gbagbo and his presidential rival Alassane Ouattara claim the win of the Nov. 28 election.

READ ANALYSIS BY NATHANIEL MANHERU

Early in the day, Odinga said African mediators would allow an “extra mile” for talks to persuade Gbagbo to cede power to Ouattara.

Odinga joined the presidents of Sierra Leone, Cape Verde and Benin on Monday on a second mission to Cote d’Ivoire since Dec. 28 to persuade Gbagbo to quit.

Although Gbagbo refused to go, Odinga seemed the most optimistic about the mission, describing the discussions as “fruitful.”

The second mission by African leaders did result in a face-to- face meeting between Gbagbo and Ouattara on Tuesday, in which Ouattara rejected an offer of compromise by Gbagbo.

Ouattara is internationally recognized as the winner of the election, while Gbagbo holds on to power, citing the ruling by the Constitutional Council that he was the victor of the race.

The ruling invalidated the election results published by the electoral commission declaring Ouattara as the winner.Xinhua News