UN Mission in Cote d’Ivoire to robustly protect civilians
The United Nations Peacekeeping mission in Côte d’ Ivoire will robustly fulfil its mandate, breaking through roadblocks if needed, to protect civilians and the legitimate Government.
Addressing a news conference in Abidjan, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Alain Le Roy, decried a campaign of lies, hatred and incitement against the mission, known by its acronym UNOCI.
He said this was coming from the State Broadcasting Authority under the control of Laurent Gbagbo, who the international community has said was defeated in November’s run-off poll by Opposition Leader Alassane Ouattara.
Le Roy insisted on the peacekeepers’ right to freedom of movement.
“We will ensure firmly, if someone obstructs us, that we cross through roadblocks because it is inadmissible that anybody prevents us from protecting civilians,” he said.
He attributed attacks on UN personnel and the deaths of at least 173 civilians in street violence to the campaign of incitement.
He said UNOCI was increasing its patrols day and night in Abidjan and reinforcing its systems of alert and liaison.
He noted, however, that Defence and Security Forces Chief of Staff, General Philippe Mangou had assured him that there would be no further blocking of UNOCI’s freedom of movement and that UN vehicles were now able to take the road to Abidjan’s Golf Hotel, where Mr Ouattara had taken up residence in the face of Mr Gbagbo’s refusal to vacate the presidential palace.
He noted that there had been a reduction in attacks against civilians compared to last week.
“So we see some signs of improvement, but the situation is very tense and the improvement of the past few days, nobody can promise that they will sustain it for many days or weeks, but we hope they will,” he said.
“We are determined to have our freedom of movement respected.”
After the UN certified Mr Ouattara as the victor in the electoral run-off, Mr Gbagbo demanded the departure of UNOCI, which has been supporting efforts over the past seven years to reunify the West African country, split by civil war in 2002 into a government-controlled South and a rebel-held North.
The election was meant to be a culminating point in the process.
The Security Council last week renewed the mandate of nearly 9,000-strong UN force for another six months.
Mr Gbagbo says he will use diplomatic, not military means to achieve UNOCI’s departure.
“There are a very great number of lying accusations against UNOCI and they are seeking to manipulate the population against UNOCI…
“These declarations that we hear worry us, more exactly appal us because they clearly incite the population to turn against UNOCI, they incite towards hatred,” Mr Le Roy said.
He referred to Tuesday’s attack by a large crowd on a three-vehicle UN convoy in which one soldier was slashed with a machete while a UN vehicle was set on fire.
Source: GNA