- UNPOL investigating roadside attacks in Korhogo area
- Human Rights Division provides training for community leaders

Security

UNPOL in Bouaké is investigating two roadside attacks, which occurred on 21 and 22 July 2008, in the Korhogo area (north). The first attack took place in Tierodougou village, 12 km from Korhogo and resulted in the death of a man. The second case was in Sirassou village, 6 km from Korhogo, during which a passenger minibus was forcibly stopped by the criminals who then robbed passengers.

Following a successful mediation by a commander from the Integrated Command Centre (ICC) in Yamoussoukro, gendarmes in the Mixed Brigade in Bangolo have suspended their strike action which started on 21 July 2008. They were striking over the non-payment of their allowances. However UNPOL described the situation as unpredictable.

UNPOL and Military Observers are investigating claims by villagers from Attiégouakro, 25 km from Yamoussoukro (centre), that unidentified criminals tried to kill two of them in order to harvest their body parts for "magic". According to the village chief, such practices were reported during elections in 2000 and he believes they have restarted because of the upcoming elections on 30 November 2008. The chief said that some people believed that the use of human body parts in potions can make them win an election.

A man claiming to work for UNOCI has been arrested in Lakota (south) after demanding 4,500 FCFA (approx $10) from people in return for recruiting them to work for the Mission. The man claimed that UNOCI was preparing to set up an office in the town and had asked him to recruit several people.

Arms embargo

UNOCI peacekeepers yesterday successfully carried out arms embargo inspections at the National Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire (FANCI) cantonment site in San Pedro, at Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles' (FAFN) Units in Groumania (east), Tehini (north) and at its Mystique Battalion camp in Bonieredougou northeast of Bouaké.

Human Rights

A group of 120 community leaders from six areas in Sipilou sous-préfecture (west) on 21 July 2008, attended a special training session on human rights and the protection of women against violence in Sipilou, situated four km from the Guinea border. The course addressed the issue of widespread female genital mutilation in the region. Commending the Duékoué Regional Human Rights Office for organizing the training, the Sous-préfet of Sipilou called on community leaders to use their influence to contribute to ending the practice of FGM in their respective communities.

Following a report by the Regional Human Rights Office in Daloa (centre west) on the unusually high mortality rate among inmates in the city's prison in June 2008, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has decided to include 50 new malnourished inmates in its nutritional programme and the prison warden has arranged for 150 others to receive larger food rations to aid their recovery from various illnesses.