Highlights

- SRSG scheduled to meet Burkinabe President Compaore in Ouagadougou PDSRSG pledges UNOCI's support to population in Denguelé region
- DSRSG starts humanitarian assessment mission in Guiglo

Political

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Y.J. Choi, will leave for Ouagadougou, Bukina Faso tomorrow to meet with the Facilitator of the Inter-Ivorian Dialogue, President Blaise Compaoré. Mr. Choi is expected to brief the Burkinabé President on the Security Council meetings on Côte d'Ivoire, which he attended in New York last month and reiterate UNOCI's availability to support the implementation of the 4th supplementary accord of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement, which was signed by all the Ivorian parties on 22 December 2009.

Visit

The Principal Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Abou Moussa, met with the Secretary-General of the Préfecture of Denguélé region (northwest), traditional and religious leaders as well as UNOCI personnel in Odienné (northwest) at the weekend. During the meeting, he reiterated UNOCI's commitment to support the Ivorians in their effort to re-establish peace in their country. The PDSRSG ,who also attended a foundation laying ceremony for the first primary school to be built Tomba village, situated south of Odienné, told the gathering that that the Mission would help the population in the fight against poverty through its Quick Impact Projects programme. The school is being built with financing from the QIPs programme. Mr. Moussa, who was in Odienné to attend a co-ordination meeting of the Human Rights Division, thanked UNOCI staff working in the region for their dedication and assured them of the full support of the Mission's administration.

Humanitarian

The Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and the UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Georg Charpentier, together with the newly arrived representatives of OCHA and UNHCR today started a three-day visit to the Moyen Cavally region (west) to assess the humanitarian situation and progress in the implementation of some UNOCI QIPs. Mr Charpentier will also introduce the two new representatives to local authorities in Guiglo and surrounding areas.

Security

UNOCI Military Observers (Milobs) have reported tension in Doueleu, a village situated 27 km south of Sangouine, on the road between Man and Danané (west), after the body of a 25-year-old man, whom villagers claimed was killed by three soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles (FAFN), was found in a local river. Villagers alleged that the man, who lived in Diokagouine, 10 km south of Sangouine, was killed on 5 February 2009, while he was fishing by the river. The commander of the FAFN gendarmerie brigade in Sangouine has promised a full investigation.

Villagers in Dolla, situated some 90 km from Man, in the Bafing region (west), have asked UNOCI peacekeepers to help prevent FAFN soldiers from extorting money from villagers who own milling machines. They claim that the soldiers demanded 15,000 FCFA each from the five owners of milling machines for the current year 2009 but were only paid a total of 7,000 FCFA. They have threatened to return for the rest of the money and the villagers want the peacekeepers to prevent them from going back.

Human Rights

The Regional Human Rights Office in Bouaké on 3 and 5 February 2009, received reports of several cases of physical assault from two men from Alakro village, 27 km north of Bouaké, who claimed the perpetrators were from the FAFN' Compagnie Guépard, led by Commander Chérif Ousmane. They alleged that following reports of a dispute between farmers and cattle breeders, some 12 soldiers went to the village on 2 February 2009. The men claimed that the soldiers beat up a villager with the butt of a gun and arrested two others whom they took to Camp Guépard. The men were released the same day after paying 20,000 FCFA (approx $40) to an Adjutant. The Office is following up the reports with the FAFN authorities

The Office also conducted a mission to Lokassou, 10 km south of Bouaké, on 5 February 2009 went to investigate reports that FAFN soldiers had carried out violent searches in some 30 houses on the night of 28 January 2009. The soldiers reportedly claimed to be looking for soldiers from the National Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire (FANCI) who were rumoured to have gone into the village. A 70-year-old woman was allegedly hurt in the face and hand when the FAFN soldiers forced their way into her home.