Highlights

- More youth groups show interest in 1000 microprojects initiative
- Peacekeepers organize reconciliation meeting between farmers and pastoralists in Touba
- UNOCI receives unconfirmed reports of planned protest by FAFN ex-combatants

DDR

Following a request by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Cote d'Ivoire, Y.J. Choi to young people in San Pedro (south), to submit projects for UNOCI's "1000 microprojects" initiative, several youth groups from various parts of the coastal city have approached UNOCI staff to request further information about the initiative. The identification of ten micro-projects to be attributed to the young people at risk- in the Bas Sassandra region- was entrusted to the Prefect of that region. Meanwhile, the DDR Office in Daloa has visited Kibouo village (centre west) to evaluate the suitability of a site for two micro projects on rice and vegetable farming. The projects are presently being fine tuned and will benefit eight youths at risk and women associated with the fighting forces. The projects will eventually benefit more than 2500 people in Kibouo and neighboring villages.

Inter-community conflict

A meeting to defuse tension between farmers and cattle breeders in Bambadougou, 62 km north of Touba, in northern Cote d'Ivoire, was organized by UNOCI in Touba on 29 and 30 August 2008. The Regional Human Rights Office in Odienné made a presentation on the impact of conflict on human rights and urged participants to do all they can to resolve their differences through dialogue. The meeting adopted a special zone of activity for each group. It should be recalled that 70 cattle breeders were expelled from Bambadougou in November 2007 by the host communities.

Arms embargo

UNOCI peacekeepers yesterday successfully carried out arms embargo inspections at the FAFN's 11th battalion platoon in Vonkoro (north east), at its unit in Bonguera, near Mbahiakro (east), as well as at the National Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire's (FANCI) unit in Péhé, near the western town of Bloléquin.

Security

During the weekly security coordination meeting held in Man yesterday, UNOCI peacekeepers received unconfirmed reports that Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles (FAFN) soldiers are planning to demonstrate on 15 September 2008, against the non payment of allowances linked to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process. The peacekeepers have therefore suggested that plans to redeploy Moroccan peacekeepers (MORBATT) from Bangolo (west) to Issia (centre west) should be put on hold as the security situation is unpredictable. MORBATT has been providing security to UNPOL in Bangolo.

Villagers in Korea-1, near Gonaté (centre west), yesterday told a UNOCI patrol that roadside bandits attacked people in the area on a daily basis. According to the reports, these criminals, masked and armed with AK47s, block the main roads, forcing passengers vehicle to stop after which they rob people of their valuables. A similar complaint was made by villagers in Vrouo, near Séguéla, (centre-west) who claimed that their village had been the target of frequent night robberies by armed masked men. Some of them felt that the local FAFN authorities were not doing enough to maintain law and order in their area of responsibility.

Human Rights

The Regional Human Rights Office in Odienné (north) is investigating claims that four men who raped a 20 year-old girl in the city on 27 August 2008 and another man who attempted to rape a 13 year-old girl on 22 August 2008, have not been charged by the Forces Nouvelles authorities. Meanwhile, the Office organised human rights training for 28 FAFN soldiers in Koro, 40 km from Touba and Borotou, 55 km of Touba in the northern Bafing Region, on 30 August 2008. The training covered the main human rights declarations and human rights for law enforcement officials. It also highlighted violence against women such as female genital mutilation and rape.

On 1 September, the San Pedro Regional Human Rights Office conducted a training workshop in San Pedro on the main human rights instruments in collaboration with the Child Protection Unit for six members of the Comité Internationale de la Jeunesse pour la Défense de Droits de l'Homme (CIJDDH).

The Regional Human Rights Office in Daloa (centre west) yesterday visited local prison to investigate reports of cases of death due to malnutrition. The Office was able to confirm the death of one prisoner due to malnutrition on 30 August 2008 as well as three others during the month of August. It also learnt that for the past two months, prisoners have been limited to rations of manioc. Suppliers are no longer delivering food to the prison because they have not been paid by the Treasury Department in Daloa, which claims that the lack of funds is at the state level and not just regional.