Highlights

- UNOCI withdraws extra troops from Séguéla and Vavoua
- Fresh demonstrations by FAFN ex-combatants in Bouaké
- DSRSG's delegation meets Ivorian Prime Minister

Séguéla and Vavoua

Following a marked improvement in the security situation in Séguéla and Vavoua after violent demonstrations by Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles (FAFN) insurgents on 28 June 2008, UNOCI has started withdrawing the extra troops it had sent to the areas to contain the situation.

Demonstration

Approximately 30 to 40 FAFN ex-combatants stationed at the 3rd battalion camp in Bouaké, yesterday demonstrated along the Bouaké – Bassawa road, against the non-payment of their allowances. The demonstrators blocked the road between the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) site and Bassawa for about 30 minutes but the protest ended peacefully due to the quick reaction of the FAFN authorities.

DDR

A delegation composed of the Deputy Special representative of the UN Secretary-General and UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Côte d'Ivoire, Georg Charpentier and the European Union Resident Representative in Côte d'Ivoire, Michel Orion, yesterday met with Ivorian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro in Bouaké. According to Mr. Orion, they discussed the preparation of the next evaluation and coordination committee meeting on the Ouagadougou Political Agreement (OPA) to be held in Burkina Faso on 10 July 2008. The EU official also said that the current budgetary and financial difficulties faced by the Ivorian Government were examined and that the international community reiterated its support for the full and smooth implementation of the OPA and the end of crisis process.

A co-ordination meeting held yesterday between UNOCI, Licorne, UNDP and the technical cell of the FAFN headquarters held in Bouaké to discuss the setting up of ten micro-projects for the reintegration of FAFN ex-combatants is set to continue today, as no agreement was reached on one important issue. The Impartial Forces proposed a sum of 550,000 FCFA per person for each of the income-generating projects while the Forces Nouvelles believed that between 730,000 and 780 000 FCFA was a more realistic figure. The ten micro-projects are the pilot of the 1000 micro-projects, ($5000 for each project) initiated by the Impartial Forces to accelerate the reintegration of FAFN ex-combatants.

Arms embargo

UNOCI peacekeepers yesterday successfully carried out an arms embargo inspection at the Gendarmerie Brigade in Toulepleu (west).

Human Rights

The Regional Human Rights Office in Duekoué (west) is investigating allegations of six women being raped by a group of unidentified armed men during a roadside robbery along the Duekoué-Bangolo road, between the villages of Beoué and Binao (west) on 6 July 2008 (Ref: Daily Brief of 7 July 2008). Three of the victims received medical treatment at Bangolo General Hospital.

Several attacks by armed roadside attackers against civilians were reported along the Odienné-Boundiali, Odienné-Bouaké and Logbanasso-Koro-Ouéllé roads in the Denguelé region. As a result, the Human Rights Office in Odienné yesterday reviewed the prevailing human rights situation with the Préfet of the region.