Ghana's President John Atta Mills says his country will not be used as a base to destabilize neighboring Ivory Coast.
Mills responded to Ghanaian newspaper reports that said that his country was harboring rebels loyal to Ivory Coast's ousted former president Laurent Gbagbo.
After meeting Monday with Ivory Coast's outgoing ambassador in Accra, President Mills said no responsible leader would allow his territory to be used to destabilize a government.
The leader said Ghana wants peace in Ivory Coast and noted that post-election unrest there had prompted thousands of Ivorians to flee into his country.
President Mills also said he has worked on peace efforts with Ivory Coast's new President Alassane Ouattara.
Ouattara took over the presidency in April, after his forces captured former president Gbagbo, who had refused to give up power after losing a November presidential election.
The five-month power struggle between the two men took the lives of hundreds of civilians and displaced an estimated 1 million people from their homes.
Ghana, in contrast, has been one of Africa's most stable countries, holding several peaceful elections since a new constitution was enacted in 1992.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
