Highlights

- SRSG discusses the need for electoral timetable with Prime Minister Soro
- Profiling of militias starts in Yamoussoukro after one day delay
- UNOCI DFC leaves at end of tour of duty

Political

As a follow up to his visit to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso yesterday to meet with the Facilitator of the Inter-Ivorian Dialogue, President Blaise Compaoré, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Y. J. Choi, today met with Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro to discuss an electoral timetable. The two men also agreed that peace and stability had generally returned to the country allowing UNOCI to reduce its troops by one battalion. They both welcomed the fact that more than five and half million people had already been identified without major incident.

DDM

The profiling of militias based in the Yamoussoukro area started today after stalling yesterday due to a dispute over allowances between the groups and the Integrated Command Centre (ICC). The head of planning at the ICC, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Attoumgbré, said that despite the fact that they still did not have the money to pay the militia members 3,000 FCFA each after they are profiled, the operation was going ahead. The leader of the "Scorpion Guetteurs" militia group told UNOCI that his followers were willing to be profiled because the ICC had made a commitment to pay them once money becomes available. Meanwhile, 81 militias were profiled in Toumodi (centre) yesterday.

Military

UNOCI's Deputy Force Commander, General Elhadji Mouhamadou Kandji leaves the Mission today after more than two years. In a short address this morning, General Kandji said that during his time with UNOCI his sole aim was to work together with his military and civilian colleagues to ensure the success of the Mission's mandate. The DFC, who returns home on 15 February 2009, has spent the week saying his farewells to Ivorian colleagues including the Chief of Staff of the Defence and Security Forces of Côte d'Ivoire (FDSCI), General Philippe Mangou and the commander of the Ivorian Gendarmerie Brigade, Colonel Tiapé Kassarate. A farewell party was scheduled to be held in General Kandji's honour today in the Mission's headquarters in Sebroko.

Education

Following the deteriorating situation in schools in the Vallée du Bandama region due to recent strikes by teachers, university students and school children, the Education Secretary of the Forces Nouvelles (FN) Colonel Sinima Bamba, today met with representatives from teachers and students unions in an effort to try to ameliorate the situation. Col Bamba appealed to try to avoid confrontation and actions which led to schools and the university being closed. He said that this was crucial for stability at a time when significant progress was being made on the political and military fronts in the country.

Humanitarian

A delegation led by the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Cote d'Ivoire, Georg Charpentier, today concluded a three-day humanitarian assessment mission the Moyen Cavally and 18 Mountains regions in western Côte d'Ivoire. During the visit, the delegation, which included the new heads of UNHCR and OCHA met with local authorities, village chiefs and returning refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Zou and Blolequin areas (west). The delegation also met with reconciliation committees from different villages in both areas and was informed that there had been a marked improvement in social cohesion between IDPs, refugees and host communities. The UN officials were also told that significant numbers of IDPs are returning to their villages of origin. Yesterday, some 120 young people went back to Zou from Guiglo.

Human Rights

Following the intervention of the regional Human Rights Office in Korhogo, a man detained at the Korhogo police station since 24 January 2009 for owing a debt of some 1,130,000 FCFA (approx $2000), was released on 10 February 2009. Prior to his release, the Office had sensitized both the Korhogo Police Prefect and Police Commissioner on the illegality of detention for debt based on international law.

On 10 February 2009, the Regional Human Rights Office in Odienné met with Forces Nouvelles authorities in the Denguélé region to discuss the prevailing human rights situation in the area. The authorities promised to take appropriate measures against those violating human rights in the region. They also requested UNOCI assistance in the implementation of the Plan of Action against Sexual Violence which was adopted by the Forces Nouvelles on 19 January 2009.