The Special Representative of the United Nation Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire and Head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), Mrs Aïchatou Mindaoudou, on Wednesday, 5 August, took part in the closing ceremony of a training workshop for village chiefs and community leaders in Olodio Sous-préfecture, situated at more than 530 km southwest of Abidjan in the Department of Tabou, in the Bas-Sassandra Region. The Special Representative was accompanied by the secretary-general of Tabou prefecture, the representative of the Prefect of Bas Sassandra Region, Mr. Kofi Kouadio, and the president of Bas-Sassandra, Mr. Donatien Beugré.



Some 71 village chiefs and religious and community leaders from Olodio Sous-préfecture took part in the capacity-building activity whose theme was : « The role of traditional authorities in conflict management and the search for social cohesion and peace ». The aim of the discussion was to initiate participants in the techniques of conflict prevention and management and to provide them with the opportunity to contribute to sensitising people in an effort to establish a peaceful electoral environment in view of forthcoming presidential elections.

Speaking on behalf of participants, Mr. Doko Pierre, presented the recommendations made during their discussions, which included their firm commitment to preserve social cohesion in their respective communities. He also welcomed their sharing of conflict management experiences.

The Chief of UNOCI congratulated participants on their commitment and on the recommendations they had made. « I would like to assure you of our support. We will accompany you in the implementation of your commitments », she said, urging them to use the knowledge they had gained in their daily activities in order to maintain peace and social cohesion within their different communities. In the same vein, the secretary-general of Tabou prefecture, representing the Prefect of the Region, Mr. Kofi Kouadio, in his closing remarks, urged participants to make good use of the knowledge they had acquired during the workshop in order to help preserve social cohesion in the region.