Highlights

- UNOCI and Licorne Force Commanders meet President Compaoré
- FAFN General addresses soldiers in Vavoua
- 1000 micro-projects for reintegration of ex-combatants to be launched soon

Military

The Force Commanders of the United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire, General Fernand Amoussou and his counterpart of Licorne General Bruno Clément-Bollée met with the Facilitator of the Inter-Ivorian Dialogue, Burkinabé President Blaise Compaoré this weekend, to discuss security provisions during the Ivorian presidential election. The meeting also discussed the dismantling of militias and the violent demonstrations carried out by Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles (FAFN) soldiers on 28 June 2008

Situation in Séguéla and Vavoua

The situation in Séguéla and Vavoua was reportedly calm today following a meeting in Vavoua yesterday between the Chief of Staff of the FAFN, General Soumaila Bakayoko, and seven of the leaders of FAFN insurgents, which was attended by UNOCI and Licorne representatives. General Bakayoko expressed his satisfaction with the calm that has returned to the town and explained the current situation with regard to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process, the reintegration programme for FAFN ex-combatants FN soldiers and implementation of different projects. He thanked them for exercising restraint during the violent demonstrations by some FAFN soldiers in Séguéla and Vavoua on 28 June 2008. The Chief of Staff later addressed approximately 500 soldiers in Vavoua stadium, during which he assured his soldiers that there would be no discrimination against anyone with regard to DDR. He also thanked UNOCI and Licorne for the positive role they had played during the demonstrations. Meanwhile 30 ex-combatants who were expected to go through the DDR process in Kani (Séguéla) yesterday failed to turn up. However, more than 216 soldiers completed the DDR process, 84 will join the new national army while 132 were demobilized.

DDR/DDM

A tripartite mission composed of representatives from UNOCI, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Force Licorne, today started a series of meetings in Bouaké with FAFN representatives, Zone Commander Chérif Ousmane and Director General of Police and Gendarmerie, Captain Tuo Fozié, on the implementation of the "1000 micro-projects" initiative announced last week by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Cote d'Ivoire, Y.J. Choi, after a meeting with Ivorian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro. Today's meeting was examining the feasibility of launching a pilot project of 10 income-generating projects to help the reintegration of demobilized FAFN soldiers.

A series of workshops organized by the Integrated Command Centre (ICC) for militia leaders from all Cote d'Ivoire are due to start tomorrow. The workshops will deal specifically with the modus operandi of the disarmament and dismantling of the militias (DDM).

Security

A passenger minibus was yesterday attacked by armed men in Binao, along the Duekoué-Bangolo road (west). Six women were raped during the incident. The assailants, armed with AK47 rifles, pistols and machetes, intercepted the minibus and forced it to go deep into the forest. The bandits then stripped the travellers of their cash and valuables before raping female passengers.

UNPOL are investigating the case of a man whose body was discovered yesterday between Guinglo and Diourouzon, 35km south-west of Bangolo. The body is thought to be that of a 45-year-old roadside bandit, who was shot on 4 July 2008 by the Bangolo Mixed Brigade, but details are still sketchy.