- Electoral Commission confirms identification will end in February 2009
- UNOCI launches investigation into shooting near Sebroko HQ

Electoral process

The Independent Electoral Commission has reconfirmed that the identification and voter registration operation will end on 28 February 2009. The Commission also stated that so far more three and a half million people out of a target of 8.6 million had already registered and that any attempt at identification fraud would fail. Meanwhile, villagers in Djebonoua, 15 km from Bouaké, have expressed disappointment over the launch of the operation in their area this weekend. They claim that a large number of them would not be able to obtain the required documents in order to take part in the process, because of lost or destroyed civil registers. However, the sous-préfet of the locality assured them that the necessary action for the reconstitution of civil registers was in progress and that the committee in charge would soon meet to finalize the implementation of the process.

Security

An investigation has been launched as to how a stray bullet came to hit a side wall of the Level 1 hospital in UNOCI's Sebroko compound on the night of 25 January 2009. Nobody was hurt but medical staff reported hearing gunfire before the wall was hit.

Angry students blocked the main streets in Daloa this morning in protest at the exclusion from a local school of a member of the students' group FESCI by local education authorities. Police finally dispersed them by using tear gas. UNOCI staff were asked to avoid the city centre.

Four masked individuals armed with Kalachnikovs and knives on 20 January 2008 forced their way into the home of a Beninois man in Zeo, 12 km from Bangolo (west), and physically assaulted him and his wife before escaping with 300,000 FCFA (approx $600). The man suffered injuries to his right knee, left hand and back.

Peace and Sport

Following UNOCI's decision last week to provide security and medical support to the organizers of the African Nations Football Tournament due to be held in Côte d'Ivoire in February 2009, the Chairman of the organizing committee, Mr. Jacques Anouma, yesterday visited the Ghanaian contingent's medical facilities in Bouaké. At the end of the visit, the Chairman thanked the Mission for its assistance to the committee and expressed his satisfaction about the high quality of the medical facilities that would be made available to the athletes during the tournament.

QIPs

Pediatric equipment valued at more than 9m FCFA (approx $18,000) was donated by UNOCI to Daloa Regional Hospital under its Quick Impact Project (QIP) programme yesterday. The equipment, which included incubators, oxygen bottles, mattresses and other pediatric equipment to help reduce the neonatal mortality rate in the hospital, was handed over to Mr. Rémy Allah Kouadio, the Ivorian Minister of Public Health. Local authorities and hospital staff praised UNOCI's action.

Human Rights

The Regional Human Rights Office in Abidjan has referred the family of a 22-year-old man who was allegedly summarily executed by a policeman from the 15th Police District in Abobo, Abidjan, to the National Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. The victim was reportedly shot three times by the policeman after the latter's girlfriend accused him of involvement in a robbery during which the assailants allegedly raped her and stole 25,000 FCFA (approx $50) and a mobile phone belonging to her. The victim's family has also filed a complaint with the Military Prosecutor.