Côte d’Ivoire / UNOCI chief awaiting information necessary for certification
ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire, February 9, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Summary of UNOCI weekly press conference (Abidjan, 09 February 2012)
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d’Ivoire, Bert Koenders, is hoping to receive soon all the information necessary to make a decision on the legislative elections in the very near future, the Spokesman for the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), Hamadoun Touré, said on Thursday in Abidjan.
Speaking during the Mission’s weekly press conference, Mr. Touré said that the decisions made by the chief of UNOCI will be in line with those taken by the Constitutional Council on the issue. “Due to the fact that electoral re-runs will be held in certain constituencies, the certification will be partial,” he explained.
Turning to other matters, Mr. Touré said that after the certification, the head of UNOCI will resume his initiatives to promote political dialogue, which is vital for national reconciliation and a return to lasting peace. “In this regard, Mr. Koenders encourages Ivorian political actors to put aside their difference and put the interests of the country first,” added the Spokesman.
Mr. Touré recalled the Special Representative’s support for efforts being made by the Government to establish security throughout the country, adding that UNOCI remained available to contribute to strengthening protection of the population. “On this issue, UNOCI peacekeepers and the Forces Républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI) will meet this Thursday to finalise their strategy to fight against extortion and roadside banditry, which have become an increasing problem throughout the country. Mr. Koenders will be going out into the field in the near future to see the reality of this phenomenon for himself, said the Spokesman.
Still on the issue of improving the security situation, the Spokesman announced that in accordance with the provisions of its mandate regarding the protection of the population, UNOCI’s Force had carried out 1,538 ground and air patrols and intensified its mixed patrols with the FRCI along the Liberia – Cote d’Ivoire border. Humanitarian actions are also part of the programme of the different battalions who provided free medical treatment for 1,348 patients and distributed 89,000 litres of potable water to people in need.
The improvement in the security situation also benefits from the support of UNOCI’s Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) division. According to Mr. Touré, the division resumed its voluntary arms collection operation on Wednesday, 8 February at the youth hostel in Attecoubé in Abidjan. The operation will also be held on Thursday, 9 February. “The aim of the exercise is to collect arms which are still in circulation and it is part of the national voluntary arms collection operation. It concerns civilians as well as all those who are still keeping illicit or illegal arms,” the Spokesman explained. A similar operation, carried out in Abobo, Abidjan, last week, resulted in the collection of 100 weapons.
The Ivorian authorities are also involved in this operation through the police and gendarmerie and particularly, the Commission Nationale de Lutte contre la Prolifération des Armes légères et de petit calibre (COMNAT-CI), said Mr. Touré. The Spokesman said that since the action started in June 2011, a total of 1,034 arms had been collected. UNOCI, he said, strongly encourages all those keeping arms illegally to hand them in voluntarily, thereby contributing to the crisis-resolution process. The DDR action is being carried out throughout the country. “In the search for peace, which also involves a reduction in the circulation of arms, even one weapon collected is a sign of success,” said Mr. Touré.
Turning to other matters, the Spokesman said that UNOCI deplored the ongoing inter-community conflicts between cattle breeders and farmers in Balala, (68 km from Odienné), Kofissiokaha (75 km from Bouaké), Madjouala (70 km from Odienné), Konan (66 km from Odienné) and Timbé (70 km from Bouaké), during the past week. “At least 53 heads of cattle were killed by farmers and several cattle breeders, fearing for their lives, have fled these villages to seek refuge in neighbouring localities,” he said.
Mr. Touré also said that as part of the fight against sexual violence, UNOCI’s Human Rights Division had documented six cases of rape in Bouaké, Daloa, Guinglo-Zagna, 30 km northwest of Duekoué, and Man. “In some cases the perpetrators have been arrested, while in Guinglo-Zagna, some victims did not wish to report their cases to the relevant authorities.
The Spokesman said that in addition to its other activities, UNOCI is still continuing its local sensitisation campaign known as ONUCI Tour and the next session will be held on 15 February 2012 in Belemoin in the department of Duekoué.
Mr. Touré also highlighted the Mission’s sensitisation activities around the African Nations Cup football competition (CAN 2012) which ends on Sunday. The Spokesman recalled that since the competition started on 21 January in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, UNOCI had organised public screenings of the matches during which it sensitized audiences on peace and reconciliation. “Screenings of the final match will be organized in Arrah, Bangolo, Boundiali, Divo, Djébonoua, Issia, Man, Odienné, San Pedro, Séguéla and Yamoussoukro. “During the past three weeks, the screenings have provided the opportunity for people of different religions, political beliefs, ethnicities and nationalities to share the hope of peaceful cohabition and national reconciliation,” said Mr. Touré. He reiterated Special Representative Koenders’ encouragement to the Elephants to win the final match for a reconciled Côte d’Ivoire.
SOURCE
Mission of UN in Côte d’Ivoire
