Côte d’Ivoire / The ivorian electoral process is on the home stretch says UNOCI chief
ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire, August 26, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Côte d’Ivoire, Y.J. Choi, presented the latest developments in the Ivorian peace process at the 14th meeting of the heads of UN peacekeeping missions in West Africa, which opened on Monday in Bissau.
Addressing his counterparts from the UN Office in West Africa (UNOWA), the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and the head of the UN Peacebuilding Support Office for Guinea Bissau (UNOGBIS), Mr. Choi said that the Ivorian electoral process was on the final leg. He stressed the determination of the Ivorian political actors to hold presidential elections on 30 November 2008, as scheduled. In terms of progress made so far, he highlighted the completion of financing for the electoral process, the cantonment of the ex-combatants and the airlifting of electoral material for identification and registration by UNOCI. The head of UNOCI also talked about the importance of the starting identification operation without delay.
Mr. Choi recalled the tasks set out in the Ouagadougou Political Agreement (OPA) that need to be started or completed. In this regard, he highlighted the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process, with the launch of UNOCI’s “1000 microprojets” initiative to facilitate the reinsertion of ex-combatants, militias and young people at risk. This operation does not replace the Government’s reintegration programme but rather supports it. Its aim is to create a peaceful and stable environment during the electoral period.
Participants at the meeting also discussed the latest developments in West Africa with regard to forthcoming elections in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Guinea Bissau.
The guest speaker at the meeting, the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, gave a comprehensive briefing on the situation in the sub-region, during which he stressed the need for a stable environment in order to fight poverty and promote development. In this regard, he outlined the prevention mechanisms of ECOWAS, which ranged from early warning to education in the culture of peace and humanitarian assistance.
He appealed for cooperation between the UN and ECOWAS in order to achieve the objectives identified by both institutions for West Africa.
SOURCE : Mission of UN in Côte d’Ivoire
