Highlights

-ICC starts sensitisation on dismantling of militia groups
-FAFN soldiers injured after attempted kidnap of zone commander
- Western village chief denies rumours of attacks on IDPs

DDM

The Integrated Command Centre (ICC) based in Yamoussoukro (centre) has announced that starting today, it has organized sensitization meetings with militia groups in centre, east and centre-west of Côte d'Ivoire on the dismantling operation.

Security

Two soldiers from the Armed Forces of Forces Nouvelles (FAFN) were injured and ten others arrested, following clashes between dissidents and loyalists in Man (west) this morning. According to UNPOL, the incident started early this morning when about 50 soldiers tried to arrest the Zone Commander of Man and his deputy in an attempt to reach an agreement on what would happen to them once they leave the FAFN. Soldiers loyal to Zone Commander opened fire on the dissidents injuring some of them. The situation was calm this afternoon, but heavily armed FAFN soldiers were patrolling the town in search of suspects.

Humanitarian

The village chief of Keibly, 95 km from Duekoué has denied rumours of an attack on internally displaced persons (IDPs) who recently returned to their plantations in the village. He insisted that the IDPs had misinterpreted the motives of youths in the area who had held a meeting to sensitise people on social cohesion. However, the sous-préfet, who sent military patrols to the area to monitor the situation following the rumours, has asked UNOCI to help in the search for a solution in order to allow IDPs waiting to return to be able to do so. He also told UNOCI that some 30 IDPs will return to their camps in Frondokro in Diboké village on 10 February 2009.

Human Rights

The Human Rights Division participated from 28 - 29 January 2009 in a workshop organized by the Ivorian Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Coalition aimed at reinforcing the capacity of local NGOs in preparing their submission for the review process. Several topics were highlighted including international humanitarian law, social, economic and cultural rights and the rights of vulnerable groups. The Division presented the methodology use to draft of the UPR report. Côte d'Ivoire will be reviewed in December 2009.