- SRSG encourages Electoral Commission president to pursue initiatives for the launch of identification
- Slow start to relaunch of Mobile Courts
- Participants at UNOCI forum in Blolequin urged to support identification

Electoral process

The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Y.J. Choi today met with the president of the Independent Electoral Commission, Robert Beugre Mambé to discuss the electoral process. During the meeting, Mr. Choi encouraged Mr. Mambé to pursue his initiative for the launch of the identification operations. He also reiterated UNOCI continued support in order to allow the IEC to carry out its mandate to organise elections under the best possible conditions.

Mobile Courts relaunch

The relaunch of the Mobile Court hearings, scheduled to start on 27 August 2008, finally started on the 29th, with only five out of a total of 50 technical teams, operating. According to timetables drawn up by local authorities in many areas, most of the Mobile Courts will only start hearing applications for substitute birth certificates today. Attendance was also poor and only 96 substitute birth certificates were issued in the three days between 27 and 29 August 2008. The start of the operation was also disrupted by a court registrars' strike over unpaid allowances during the last Mobile Court hearings which ended on 15 May 2008.

Information and sensitization

More than 400 people attended a civil society forum organized by UNOCI in the western town of Bloléquin, in the Moyen Cavally region on 30 August 2008. Participants were urged by UNOCI officials as well as the local authorities to support identification, which will be the last phase before presidential elections on 30 November 2008. Women, traditional Chiefs and the youth groups, who held workshops on the eve of the forum, asked the Mission and UN Agencies operating in the region for more development projects.

Security

Five members of the Mouvement des Jeunes pour la Renaissance (MOREB), who were arrested in Bondoukou on 12 August 2008 during a series of violent protests against what they claimed was the illegal exploitation of timber and manganese in the area, were on 28 August 2008 given a 12-month suspended sentence and fined 100 000 FCFA, (approx $224). It should be recalled that MOREB members destroyed two trucks and abducted a gendarme, during the events, which lasted more than a fortnight.

A local pharmacy in Guiglo (west) was yesterday attacked by two armed robbers, who escaped with an undisclosed amount of money and medicines. The local police are investigating the incident.

Denial of freedom of movement

A BANBATT long range patrol, on 29 August 2008 was told by Young Patriots in Bonon, near Daloa (centre west), that it was not allowed to patrol in the area and had to return to its camp in Daloa Airport. Despite the intervention of the Sous Prefect and the local Commander of the National Armed Forces of Côte d'Ivoire (FANCI), the Young Patriots refused to allow the patrol to pass and it was eventually forced to turn back.

Arms Embargo

UNOCI peacekeepers, on 29 August 2008, successfully carried out an arms embargo inspection at the Gendarmerie Company in Divo (centre west).

Human Rights

Five leaders of demobilised soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles (FAFN), who were demonstrating in Bouaké last month, this weekend asked the Regional Human Rights Office in the city to accompany them to a meeting called by the FAFN hierachy because they feared for their safety. The Office and UNPOL explained to the ex-combatants that they could not come to the meeting but would be monitoring the situation.

The Regional Human Rights Office in Duekoué is planning to carry out a sensitisation campaign on women's rights in the Sous Prefecture of Biankouma, situated 40 km from Man (west), after receiving reports that ten girls under the age of 20 from the Yacouba community, underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) on 25 August 2008. One of the girls, who was due to marry a Malian man aged 46, reportedly ran away after the ceremony but was later found and forced by her parents to return to her "husband". The sensitization campaign will focus on the negative impact of some traditional practice, such as FGM, on young girls' health.

Following reports that a motorcycle shop owner was being held in a two-metre deep hole covered with iron bars at the Corridor Sud in Bouaké by FAFN soldiers, the Regional Human Rights Office has tried in vain to raise the matter with Commander Soro Dramane, whose men are allegedly responsible for the action. The shop owner was reportedly arrested after an FAFN soldier, who had bought a second-hand motorcycle from him, complained about the condition of the machine and demanded his money back. The existence of this illegal detention hole in the vicinity of Soro Dramane's residence has been brought to the attention of human rights officers in Bouaké several times but the commander has not been available to discuss the matter.