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Côte d'Ivoire

Nineteenth progress report of the UN SG on the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (S/2009/21)

Attachments

I. Introduction

1. By its resolution 1826 (2008), the Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) and the French Licorne force until 31 January 2009, and requested me to report on the situation in Côte d'Ivoire and provide benchmarks for a possible phased drawdown of the troop levels of UNOCI, taking into consideration the electoral process and the situation on the ground, in particular the security situation. The present report covers major developments since my report of 13 October 2008 (S/2008/645) and presents the findings of a technical assessment mission that visited Côte d'Ivoire from 10 to 14 December 2008.

II. Security situation

2. The overall security situation in the country has remained generally stable. The successful dismantling of the zone of confidence, which was completed in July 2008, has restored the freedom of movement of people, goods and services throughout the country and contributed to the overall improvement in the security situation. However, other factors, such as the continued existence of armed militias and violent youth groups, the incomplete cantonment of former combatants of the Forces nouvelles, the difficulties encountered by the Government to pay allowances to the cantoned Forces nouvelles former combatants, as well as the continued control by the Forces nouvelles zone commanders of local administration in the north, including revenue collection, still draw attention to the fragility of the security situation in the country.

3. Frequent demonstrations by military units demanding payment of allowances were reported in both areas controlled by the Forces nouvelles and areas controlled by the Government. Furthermore, on 24 November, alleged supporters of a former Forces nouvelles zone commander, Zakaria Koné, attacked the newly installed Forces nouvelles leadership in Séguéla. In another incident, on 6 October in Abidjan, unidentified armed elements attacked the residence of the Minister of Construction, Urbanization and Habitat, Marcel Amon Tanoh, and fled following an exchange of fire with the guards. Disruptions of the identification of the population and voter registration operations were also reported, including on 10 October, when S/2009/21 09-00031 2 youths from the Student Federation of Côte d'Ivoire ransacked three registration sites in Abidjan and confiscated the equipment.

4. Inter-community clashes over land issues between returning internally displaced persons and local communities were reported in Abidjan district, Bondoukou, Yocoboué and several villages in the Bas Sassandra region, and resulted in at least 19 persons killed, 43 injured and 400 displaced. Other security incidents that were reported included roadside robberies, killings, ambushes, burglaries and sexual violence, including rape. Efforts by law enforcement agencies to curb criminality continued to be hampered by logistical, financial and human resource constraints facing the national security institutions and the proliferation of arms in the country.