Highlights

 

·       
UNOCI and Licorne Undertake Joint
Training Exercise

·       
Progress Towards the
Re-deployment of Journalists and Prison Officials

·       
UNOCI in the Process of
Renovating 18 Hydraulic Pumps

 

UNOCI and Licorne Begin Joint Military Training Exercise

 

Hundreds of ONUCI and French Licorne soldiers began a
10 day training exercise in the northeast of the country today. The joint
exercise, a routine training tool, will take place in the Northeast of the
country between the towns of Bouna (in the North and policed by the FAFN),
Bondoukou and Nassian (both policed by the FDS-CI). The joint exercise is
supported by the Ghanian and French air support, and will include the movement
of personnel by helicopter.  This joint exercise will simulate how the Impartial
Forces work together in a crisis. As the rules have been established for the
electoral period, the Ivorian forces (FAFN and FDS-CI), directed through the
Independent Coordinating Centre are responsible for maintaining order. If there
is a breakdown of order, or a conflict between these forces, UNOCI will
intervene. If UNOCI needs reinforcements the French Licorne forces will send a
Quick Reaction Force, which can be deployed anywhere in the country within
hours, which will then backup the UNOCI troops in the affected area. This joint
exercise will finish on the 16 January.

 

Electoral Census Update

Yesterday the majority of Collection Centres
scheduled to open for business, were operating normally. In two regions
Abengrouou (Sector East) and Bangolo (Sector West, however, the Centers were
closed due to a salary problem (Abengourou) and accusations of fraud (Bangolo).

 

In
Bouaké yesterday the UNOCI Military Public Information Officer and the Pakistani
Battalion's Operations Officer visited a number of Collection Centers in order
to bring attention to the important work that the local electoral commission is
doing, and to learn first-hand the obstacles facing some of these Centers.

 

 

Redeployment of the Administration

 

Prisons

 

The UNOCI Rule of Law section and the international non-governmental
organization Prisoners Without Borders, began an evaluation meeting this morning
with authorities from the Forces nouvelles in Bouaké. UNOCI has supported
Prisoners Without Borders in implementing a rehabilitation project of prisons in
the center, north and west (zone controlled by the Forces nouvelles) of
the country. One aspect of this project includes the re-deployment of prison
authorities and judicial officers to manage these prisons, which was also a
topic for discussion in this evaluation meeting. The rehabilitation works of the
prisons will cost approximately one billion CFA (200,000 USD) and is being
undertaken with the financial support of the Federal Republic of Germany.

 

Radio/Television Ivorian

 

A
delegation of the RTI (Radiodifusion Télévision Ivoirienne), the leading
state-run Ivorian public television structure, met with Forces nouvelles
(FN). Authorities today in Bouaké, to begin taking practical steps to
re-connect the parts of the country under the control of the FAFN with the
national TV, and to re-deploy the technicians, journalists and other
professionals needed to ensure that the television can function properly. Though
agreed on principal, and stated specifically in the Ouagadougou Peace Accords
that all public servants will be re-deployed throughout the country, few
practical steps have been taken. In Bouaké a television station run by the FN,
named TV of our Fatherland (TV Notre Patrie or TVNP) has been functioning for a
number of years. Part of the negotiations that were undertaken today includes
the question of what to do with the staff who work for TVNP.  A private TV
station, ICITV, also broadcasts from Bouaké.

 

The Government of Côte d'Ivoire has announced that the civil administration that
has been re-deployed throughout the national territory (Prefects, Sub-Prefects,
Counselors and Mayors) will be given full powers on 15 January 2009, in
accordance with the fourth complementary agreement to the Ouagadougou Political
Agreement (OPA). At the same time, the Government is accelerating the
re-deployment of judicial authorities, in order to re-open courts throughout the
country.

 

Humanitarian

 

UNOCI's Civil Affairs Section undertook a mission to Daoukro (centre, Sector
East) yesterday to evaluate the progress of the installation of 18 hydraulic
pumps located in villages surrounding Daoukro. This water project, which is
partially financed with 10 million CFA (20,000 USD) UNOCI's Quick Impact Project
fund, will renovate hydraulic pumps in 18 villages. The goal of the project is
to facilitate access to clean water for the inhabitants of these 18 villages and
to put in place an efficient maintenance mechanism to ensure that these pumps
are well-maintained. The UNOCI delegation met with local authorities and
representatives of the NGO "Bien-Etre" ("Well-Being"), the executive partner for
this project.

 

 

Human Rights

On 6 January, the Human Rights Regional Office in
Bouaké reported that a 10 year-old girl was raped on 26 December 2008 in the
Neika neighbourhood of Katiola (183 km north of Bouaké in Sector East). The
alleged perpetrator was arrested and held in the Katiola police station where he
escaped on 27 December 2008. The Regional Office is following up on the case
with local authorities.

The director of the cabinet of the former FAFN
Zone 5 Commander Zacharia Koné (who was relieved of his duties last September),
was transferred to the Etat Major of the FAFN in Bouaké yesterday. The
Director was arrested and detained on 18 December 2008 without being formally
charged. He was held in the Ferkessédougou gendarmerie until yesterday. Since
September 2008, Forces nouvelles authorities conducted a wave of arrests
of FAFN personnel allegedly close to this Commander.

 

 

Ends