Highlights

- UNOCI doubles transportation support to identification operation in Bouaké
- Angry militias threaten Mixed Brigade gendarmes in western Côte d'Ivoire

Identification

UNOCI today doubled its transportation support to the identification and voter registration operation in the Bouaké area. A total of 14 vehicles instead of seven were made available to the local electoral commission with the view to enhancing the operation in six sous-préfectures. In addition, a reconnaissance mission of peacekeepers and electoral officers was being planned to Godokro and Yangankro villages, located 120 km from Bouaké, in the Katiola and Tortiya areas, to assess the possibility of the Mission building a landing strip near the villages. This would enable air transportation of electoral officers and material for the operation in places which are currently inaccessible by road or river.

Meanwhile, a group of young men, reportedly acting on the instructions of striking agents from the local supervisory committee for identification (CLSI) in Duékoué (west) yesterday seized equipment from SAGEM, the technical operator for identification. They also beat up a SAGEM agent and stole computers and cellphones from an identification centre in the town. It has been alleged that the CLSI agents, who have been on strike since 13 February 2009 over the non-payment of their salaries, have been using members of the Coordination des Jeunes Patriotes (COJEP) to threaten identification agents. In Guiglo, the operation was suspended for three hours after security guards blocked movement of all vehicles in protest against the non-payment of their salaries.

DDM

Militias in the Zouan Hounien area (west), who were angry at being excluded from the disarmament and dismantling of militias (DDM) process, yesterday threatened members of the Mixed Brigade based in Zeale. According to UNOCI's Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) section, the militias had not been included in the DDM process because they had not been officially counted and recognized by the Integrated Command Centre (ICC) based in Yamoussoukro, which is in charge of the process. Due to the prevailing tension, UN Staff has been advised to avoid the area. Meanwhile, some 2,000 militias have been successfully profiled in Daloa, Bouaflé (centre west), Yamoussoukro and Brobo (centre) and 5,129 arms and ammunition have been handed in by militias in the Daloa area. The profiling operation is due to finish in Zaibo and Issia (centre west) today and will start in Bondoukou (east) on 2 March 2009.

Redeployment of administration

More than 100 civil documents have been issued to members of the public since the Court of the First Instance reopened in Bouaké on 16 February 2009. The clerk of the court, Mr Innocent Lattier today told UNOCI that some 70 citizenship certificates and 40 police records had been issued so far. The Magistrate, Mr. Fréderic Ekra praised the Mayor of Bouaké's efforts in providing equipment and material to get the work started and said that the court was now hoping for assistance from the donor community to help strengthen its capacity. The Court is currently only issuing civil documents and has not yet started hearing cases.

Security

A reconciliation meeting organised by local authorities and traditional leaders following violent clashes between youths and transport operators in Okrouyo, near Soubre (south west), over fares ended successfully today. The transport operators agreed to cut fares as part of a nationwide measure following a fall in fuel prices. Four houses were destroyed and four persons seriously injured when trouble broke out between the youths and the transport operators' who had refused to implement the cut in fares on 11 February 2009.

Arms embargo

UNOCI peacekeepers yesterday successfully conducted arms embargo inspections at the Armed Forces of Forces Nouvelles (FAFN) unit in Tiéningboué (centre-west) and at its 62nd Battalion in Sémien (west), at its 11th battalion in Vonkro, near Bouna as well as at the Defence and Security Forces of Cote d'Ivoire's (FDSCI) gendarmerie brigade in Ouélé, near Daoukro (east).

Human Rights

Villagers in Agbangnassou, 5 km south-west of Bouaké have complained to the regional Human Rights Office in the city about extortion by soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles (FAFN) stationed in the area. They claimed that the soldiers demand 'crossing fees' (droit de passage) of between 2000 and 5000 FCFA (approx $4 and $10) for each public transport vehicle crossing the area. This has allegedly led to an increase in the cost of transportation which had in turn prevented vulnerable people, such as pregnant women, from travelling to medical centres in Bouaké. The Office has brought the matter to attention of the FAFN hierarchy in Bouaké.