-UNOCI SRSG meets Speaker of Ivorian National Assembly
-Minibus attacked by armed men in Guiglo area
-Forces Nouvelles ComZone reports lynching in Danané area

Political

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Cote d'Ivoire, Y.J.Choi, today paid a courtesy call on Mamadou Koulibaly, the Speaker of the National Assembly, during which they reviewed the Ivorian peace process, focusing on disarmament, demobilization and reinsertion (DDR) and elections. Mr. Coulibaly and members of the National Assembly who were with him promised to support the peace process.

Security

A passenger minibus was attacked on 8 February 2008 by three armed men near Glopaoudi village, 18 km from Guiglo in the western region of Moyen Cavally. The attackers stole property worth hundreds of thousands of CFA after beating up the passengers.

In Nedrou (located 15 km north of Guiglo), a young Burkinabé man was attacked by a group of six unidentified armed robbers in his home on the night of 7 February 2008. His attackers escaped with his personal belongings. The police commissioner told the Human Rights Office in Duekoué that a criminal investigation had been launched into the first incident. According to the Human Rights Division, although these incidents are security-related, they have negatively affected the civilian population's right to freedom of movement as well as its individual and collective security. In the past, an attack against a member of any of the local communities (Guéré, Baoulé or Bukinabé) has often led to communal clashes and ethnically-motivated killings.

As a result of the spate of armed attacks in Moyen Cavally, the security section has recommended that civilian and military staff on mission in the area travel with armed escorts.

The Forces Nouvelles Sector Commander for Danané, Captain Eddy Meddy, yesterday told UNOCI Military Observers at a weekly security meeting that one of his soldiers had been lynched by villagers in the western village of Kpahiepleu. A UNOCI patrol was due to visit the village, which is east of Danané, today to find out what happened.

Mobile Courts

The Mobile Court team in the western town of Facobly has had to adapt its programme in order to take into account the absence of soldiers from the Integrated Command Centre (ICC), who are supposed to provide security. The team has decided to hold hearings in towns and villages until 20 February 2008, after which it would suspend its work until security is provided. The team is anxious over insecurity in the Facobly and Kouibly area, which has increased during the current cocoa and coffee season.

Arms embargo

Military Observers from the northern town of Ferkéssedougou yesterday successfully conducted an arms embargo inspection at Laleraba, some 82 km from their teamsite. NIGERBATT provided escort and security.

Military

Joint patrols were carried out yesterday by PAKBATT, UNPOL and Military Observers in the following towns: Bouaké; Bouko, 34 km from the northeastern town of Bouna; Ahougnassou in the Yamoussoukro area; and Diehiba, near Duekoué, in the west.

HIV/AIDS

Staff from UNOCI's HIV/AIDS Unit will be in Liberia from 18 to 24 February 2008 to exchange experiences with their counterparts in UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and discuss how they can work and collaborate more efficiently with each other.

Miscellaneous

Medicins sans frontières have ended free medical treatment to people in the Danané Hospital. The management of the hospital will revert to the state.