I. Coast's Ouattara sacks top officials close to ex-rival

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara sacked several top officials close to his former rival Laurent Gbagbo as he consolidates power after the west African nation's political crisis. The newly installed leader also signed an order creating a Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission aimed at healing divisions from the crisis and unrest. In a statement, Ouattara's office said he had sacked the number three figure in the government, the head of the Economic and Social Council, Laurent Dona Fologo. In March Fologo had publicly backed incumbent strongman Gbagbo, who refused to leave power after Ouattara was internationally recognised as the winner of November presidential elections. Fologo will be replaced by Marcel Zadi Kessy, the head of the nation's electricity company. Ouattara also fired the head of the Supreme Court, Kone Tia, the head of the National Order of Ivory Coast, General Issouf Kone, and two members of the country's Constitutional Council. Ouattara assumed the presidency after Gbagbo was ousted on April 11 for refusing to hand over power, plunging the country into a tense and violent crisis that left more than 1,000 dead.