Highlights

-UNOCI Force Commander on two-day visit to Sector West;
-Rule of law chief presents report on penitentiaries;
-UNOCI's FC chairs quadripartite meeting ;
-Majority of IDPs in Yamoussoukro have returned to their regions;
-Military Observers denied permission to conduct embargo inspection

Force Commander's Visit

UNOCI's Force Commander General Fernand Amoussou today started a two day-visit to Sector West. His first stop was at the Sector Headquarters in Daloa, where he was briefed on the current situation in the area before meeting with the Prefect of Daloa and local religious leaders

Rule of law

The head of UNOCI's Rule of Law Unit, Francoise Simard, today presented the mission's second report on the situation of penitentiaries in Côte d'Ivoire at UNOCI's weekly news conference. Issues highlighted in the report include the question of poor nutrition in prisons, inadequate accommodation, the need for proper provisions for women and minors and health-related problems. However, the study noted improvements in given areas since the first report.

Military

UNOCI's Force Commander, General Fernand Amoussou yesterday chaired a quadripartite meeting at the Force HQ in Sebroko, Abidjan, attended by the Force Commander of Licorne and the Chiefs of Staff of the Ivorian Defence and Security Forces, General Philippe Mangou and the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles (FAFN), General Soumaila Bakayoko, as well as the head of the Integrated Command Centre. Participants discussed the current security situation among other issues.

Joint patrols were yesterday carried out by MORBATT and UNPOL in Bouaké and by JORBATT and Licorne in Abidjan.

Security

The Mixed Brigade at Bonoufla (western Cote d'Ivoire) along with UNPOL officers yesterday went to enquire about a suicide allegedly committed on 2 October 2007 by an unidentified person in Gamina village, according to BANBATT.

Return of IDPs

Out of 372 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were living in the Miegou centre in Yamoussoukro, there are just 82 remaining. Most have returned to their respective regions, including Bouaké, Beoumi and Man. There were some, however, who decided to settle in Yamoussoukro, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugee which is co-ordinating the process, in cooperation with a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Arms embargo

Military Observers (Milobs) from Korhogo, escorted by NIGERBATT, were yesterday denied permission to conduct an arms embargo inspection in Fansara military camp in Korhogo. The team was told that the camp commander was away. However on the same day, arms embargo inspections were carried out successfully at other locations. These are: a check point on the southern entry/exit to Seguéla town by Milobs with security escort provided by BANBATT; the Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire (FANCI) camp in Binhouye by Milobs from Danané; and the 1er Battalion du Genie in Adjamé by Milobs from Abidjan in coordination with Licorne, with TOGOBATT and BANBATT providing escort.

Redeployment of administration

According to reports received by UNOCI in Man, Forces Nouvelles authorities have moved out offices and houses belonging to the Prefecture in Touba and Seguela in order to make them available to officials who are now being redeployed in Forces Nouvelles areas. The Zone Commander of Danane, Captain Eddy Meddy still occupies buildings belonging to the administration, but is expected to vacate them shortly. Meanwhile UNOCI is still occupying administrative buildings in Odienné.

Human Rights

On 3 October, the Regional Human Rights Office in Duékoué followed up with the Forces Nouvelles (FN) military authorities in Man, the case of Mr. Porgo Moustapha, a Burkinabé living in Sangouiné (located 130 km from Duékoué),who sought protection from UNOCI. In July 2007, Mr. Kasero, an FN Commander in the Sangouiné area, confiscated the personal belongings of Mr. Porgo, including a motorcycle and two vehicles, following a private dispute. Since September, Mr. Kasero has threatened to inflict physical harm on the victim if he complains to the local gendarmerie authorities. The Office is following the case.

On 2 October, the Regional Human Rights Office in Abidjan attended the commemoration of the International Day of Non-violence organized by the NGO "Coordination Nationale du Mouvement Humaniste Côte d'Ivoire". Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, human rights activists and NGOs. Mr. Fortuné Kouadio, leader of the "Coordination Nationale du Mouvement Humaniste de Côte d'Ivoire", invited UNOCI to work together with his organization and other human rights associations to inculcate a culture of peace and promote tolerance and human dignity through awareness-raising campaigns on alternative approaches to dispute conflict resolution and management.

Visit

Ghana's Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire, Kabral Blay-Amihere, yesterday visited UNOCI's sector East HQ as well as the Ghanaian units based in Bouaké.

Miscellaneous

UNOCI's Chief of Civil Affairs Ms Zakia Belhachmi yesterday handed over 800 school desks to the General Council in Man. The desks were built with money made available through the Mission's Q