Highlights

- SRSG Choi and ASG Mulet meet Ivorian President in Yamoussoukro
- Redeployed civil servants threaten to go on strike

Political

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Y. J. Choi, and Assistant Secretary-General Edmond Mulet, today met with President Laurent Gbagbo in the political capital Yamoussoukro to discuss UNOCI's support for the Ivorian crisis-resolution process. Speaking after the meeting, Mr. Mulet told journalists that his visit was with regard to the renewal of the Mission's mandate which expires on 31 January 2009. He said he discussed the recommendations which would be made to the UN Security Council with President Gbagbo. Mr. Mulet will also meet other Ivorian political actors such as the presidents of the Rally for Republicans (RDR) and the Democratic Party of Cote d' Ivoire (PDCI), Alassane Dramane Ouattara and Henri Konan Bédié respectively, during his visit.

Redeployment of administration

Redeployed civil servants in areas under Forces Nouvelles control are threatening to go on strike if their salary arrears are not paid immediately.

Arms Embargo

UNOCI peacekeepers yesterday successfully carried out arms embargo inspections at the Defence and Security Forces of Cote d'Ivoire's (FDS-CI) gendarmerie brigade in Tabagne, near Bondoukou (east), at its camp in Sinfra, near Bouaflé (centre west), at the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles' (FAFN) 64th battalion in Gbeunta, near Danané (west) and its 74th battalion in Sipilou, north west of Danané and its Unit in Tortiya, near Katiola (north).

Human Rights

As part of events to commemorate of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 2008, the Human Rights Division in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, organized a series of activities on the theme "Dignity and Justice for all of us" at the Palais de la Culture in Treichville, Abidjan. The event included a film highlighting the human rights situation in Cote d'Ivoire, plays, poems and songs on human rights protection performed by school children and a nationwide poetry and art competition. Similar activities were organised across the country in Bouaké, Daloa, Duekoué, Bondoukou, Korhogo, Odienné, Yamoussoukro and San Pedro. Thousands of people, including representatives of the Government, local administrative authorities, UN agencies, members of human rights clubs, women's associations, civil society and community, religious and traditional leaders attended the ceremonies in Abidjan and in the regions. On 9 December 2008, the signatories of the "Korhogo Declaration" a campaign to promote and protect human rights in Côte d'Ivoire launched in the northern city of Korhogo in December 2007, held a roundtable discussion during which they reiterated their commitment to combat human rights violations through information-gathering, monitoring of human rights abuses and the adoption of appropriate measures to hold the perpetrators of human rights violations accountable.

The Regional Human Rights Office in Bouaké is following up the case a man who was severely beaten up and threatened with death by an FAFN soldier for having lodged a complaint against him. The man claimed that the soldier had been illegally occupying his house for the past six years without paying any rent. The victim, who was severely injured, received medical care at Bouaké Hospital.