Highlights

- SRSG meets Ghanaian Minister of Defence
- FDSCI soldiers demonstrate against non payment of allowances
- Ivorian Council of Ministers provisionally accepts proposal to recruit volunteer teachers

Political

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Cote d'Ivoire, Y.J. Choi, today met with the Ghanaian Minister of Defence, Albert Ken Dapaah, at UNOCI's headquarters in Abidjan. Mr. Choi highlighted the important contribution that Ghana is making to the Ivorian peace process through its contingent which is deployed in the Bouake and Bondoukou areas in eastern Cote d'Ivoire. The Special Representative also praised the professionalism of the Ghanaian troops. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Mr. Dapaah said he had thanked Mr. Choi for the Mission's tireless support to the Ghanaian peacekeepers. The Minister also said that he had assured the Special Representative of the continued commitment of the Ghanaian peacekeepers in order to bring about a rapid resolution to the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire.

Security

Soldiers from the Defence and Security Forces of Côte d'Ivoire (FDSCI) in Yamoussoukro (centre) and Daoukro(east) today demonstrated and fired shots in the air against the non payment of what they described as their war allowances.

Following a sharp increase in violence in northern and eastern areas of Cote d'Ivoire, various measures are being prepared by UNOCI and Ivorian security authorities, in order to improve the situation. In the Boundiali and Korhogo areas (north) for example, numerous roadside robberies and other attacks have happened over the last months. Persistent rumours link these criminal activities to demobilized and serving soldiers in the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles (FAFN). UNOCI peacekeepers are also closely monitoring the situation in Prikro and Famienkro (east) where the Mixed Brigades of the Integrated Command Center (ICC) are no longer operating, resulting in an increased crime rate.

Forces Nouvelles soldiers and gendarmes yesterday arrested 42 suspected robbers, including a woman with a 16 month-old baby and a former soldier, in the Odienné area (north west). The suspects have not been charged, but UNOCI has learnt that there are plans to move some of them to Man (west) and Daloa (centre west) as the cells in the gendarmerie in Odienné are not large enough to accommodate all of them.

Volunteer teachers

UNOCI has been informed by the Deputy Director of Cabinet in the Ministry of Education that the Council of Ministers has accepted in principle a proposal from the Ministry to recruit 5099 volunteer teachers. They will consist of 2,922 teaching assistants, 1424 primary school teachers and 749 secondary school teachers. It should be recalled that volunteer teachers, who claim they kept the education system going in areas under Forces Nouvelles control during the Ivorian crisis, have been demanding that they are properly recruited as promised by President Laurent Gbagbo earlier this year.

Arms embargo

UNOCI peacekeepers yesterday successfully carried out arms embargo at the National Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire's (FANCI) gendarmerie brigades in Abengourou (east) and Kossou, near Yamoussoukro (centre).

Human Rights

On 24 September, the Regional Human Rights Office in Duékoué participated in a reconciliation session organized by the sous-préfet of Gbapleu, situated 45 km south of Duékoué, to try to defuse tension between the local population and members of the (FDS-CI). The meeting was attended by military authorities, law enforcement officials, community leaders and members of a new young patriots group called the "Mouvance patriotique". It should be recalled that villagers from Gbapleu staged a two-day protest against what they claimed was extortion carried out by FDSCI elements. The Office took the opportunity to sensitize the representatives of the local authorities, on their direct responsibility to protect human rights.

On 23 September, the Regional Human Rights Office in Korhogo reported that two men, one of them a traditional medicine practitioner died in Korhogo hospital from bullet wounds inflicted on them in July 2008 by Dozos (traditional hunters) in Fononfla village, 10 km from Korhogo (north) on suspicion of armed robbery. A girl, said to be related to one of the men, was shot in the right thigh by the same Dozos as she tried to run away from them. The Office is following the case.