Highlights

-UNOCI provides transportation for resumption of Public Hearings in Ferkéssedougou

-Villagers in Totrodrou complain to UNOCI about extortion by FN soldiers

Public Hearings

UNOCI yesterday transported legal and administrative officials to the northern town of Ferkéssedougou for the official launch of the resumption of the public hearings for identification. During his announcement of the launch, the Minister of Justice thanked the Mission for its interest and support during the different stages of the process. The public hearings were simultaneously launched in Ferkéssedougou, the birth place of Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and in Ouragahio, west of Abidjan, the birthplace of President Laurent Gbagbo. UNOCI will be sending teams to the 68 sites where the public hearings are scheduled to be held during the next three months.

At the Forces Nouvelles (FN) flag-raising ceremony and security meeting held in Danané yesterday, the Sector Commander Sergeant Eddy Meddy told participants that he did not yet know when the public hearings for identification will start in the town. It was agreed that the general security situation in the area remained calm.

Security

Bonoufla Mixed Brigade yesterday handed over two criminals to the authorities in Daloa. They were arrested by the Mixed Brigade on 22 September 2007 in Blezkro village on charges of extorting money from the local people.

Villagers yesterday complained to a UNOCI joint patrol about extortion at checkpoints at Totrodrou on the Man - Bangolo-Guezon - Kirou road. They said they had to pay 100 fcfa each time they went past the checkpoint.

A GHANBATT patrols which yesterday met with the Chief of Police of Abengourou was informed that armed criminals had attacked a local businessman from whom they stole a reported 1.5 million FCFA on 22nd September 2007. The following day on 23 September, a fuel station was attacked by unknown assailants who escaped with one million FCFA.

Military

MORBATT and UNPOL yesterday conducted a joint night patrol in Bouaké while TOGOBATT and Licorne carried out a joint day patrol in Abidjan.

Human Rights

On 25 September, 50 members of the former militia group Union Patriotique pour la Résistance du Grand Ouest (UPRGO), led by "General" Banao invaded the UNOCI camp in Duékoué before paralyzing the city - barricades were erected on main roads of the city, thus preventing the freedom of movement of inhabitants. "General" Banao complained that 672 members of his militia group did not receive the money promised by the government to ex-militia groups. He threatened to obstruct the holding of the mobile court hearings in the Moyen Cavally region. Although the police succeeded in dispersing the former militiamen, the situation remains fragile.

Following the intervention of the Regional Human Rights Office in Daloa, the leader of the Benin community, Mr. Houeton Hounson Théodore, arrested on 23 August 2007 and detained for abduction of minors, was provisionally released on 17 September 2007. The 18 Benin nationals, brought to the Western Côte d'Ivoire by Mr. Houeton with a view to working in coffee and cocoa plantations in Zuénoula and Bouaflé, were returned to their county of origin on 23 September under the auspices of their country's Embassy.

On 23 September, the Regional Human Rights Office in Yamoussoukro together with the NGO Fin des Larmes des Mères Victimes (FLAMVI) visited the internally displaced persons (IDPs) Duokro camp (25 km from Yamoussoukro). The aim of the visit within the framework of Office's collaboration with the Ministry of Solidarity and War Victims, the International Rescue Committee and FLAMVI, was to assure the protection of the human rights of IDPs, with particular attention to the situation of the most vulnerable ones, women and children.