Côte d’Ivoire / UNOCI chief appeals for end to violence
ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire, February 23, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d’Ivoire, Y. J. Choi, on Monday, in Abidjan, deplored the violent demonstrations against the dissolution of the Independent Electoral Commission and the Government which produced at least seven deaths.
“The violence must stop”, he told journalists at the end of a meeting with the Facilitator of the inter-Ivorian Dialogue, Burkinabé President Blaise Compaoré, who had come to help Ivorians find a solution to the current political crisis. Violence is not acceptable, Mr. Choi said, before adding that the suffering of Ivorians must end.
The Special Representative reiterated the need to preserve the achievements made in the electoral process. “We all agree that the provisional electoral list in particular, must be preserved,” said the Chief of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI).
The provisional electoral list already contains 5.3 million (5,300,000) before processing of the remaining appeals, which should produce the definitive electoral list.
In this regard, Mr. Choi expressed the hope that the consultations initiated by the Facilitator with the protagonists in the Ivorian crisis, would result in the formation of a new government and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) as soon as possible.
Last Saturday, the Special Representative went to Gagnoa, 258 km from Abidjan, to express his condolences to the families of the victims of the violent demonstrations, which resulted in five deaths and to offer UNOCI’s availability to avoid a repetition of such events.
Before meeting UNOCI’s Chief, President Compaoré, welcomed by his Ivorian counterpart, Laurent Gbagbo, had held meetings in the afternoon with all the actors in the Ivorian crisis, as well as with the diplomatic
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Mission of UN in Côte d’Ivoire
