The Deputy Special Representative of UN Secretary-General in Cote d'Ivoire, Arnauld Akodjenou on Thursday 3 July 2014 visited the Centre for public hearings of the national Commission for Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation (CDVR) at Vridi, south-east of Abidjan. He was accompanied by the resident representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Women, UN Population Fund and the UN Children's Fund as well as representatives of the ambassadors of Belgium and Great Britain in Cote d'Ivoire.

Mr. Akodjenou said the visit, the third after those of Yopougon and Anyama, was important in the sense that it permitted the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) and its partners to take effective cognizance of the public hearings, to get acquainted with the problems faced by the Truth Commission and find out the impression of the victims without interfering with the process.

"Our assessment on the ground would help us to provide assistance to the CDVR that would enable it make up for certain inadequacies related to sensitization and logistics. The heavy rains of the past days have not facilitated a massive turnout at the hearings even though there was a considerable turnout this morning. We are trying to see how we can support the CDVR in such a way that mobile teams could move towards victims whose place of residence is known," Mr. Akodjenou suggested.



The Deputy Special Representative indicated that UNOCI could help in the transportation of materials to the interior of the country where hearings of victims and witnesses were scheduled but could not hold because of a huge turnout that caused a shortage of materials. "We would help the Commission to dispatch the materials as fast as possible. It's a race against time if the Commission has to meet up with the number of hearings envisaged in order to move the reconciliation process ahead," he said.

For her part, CDVR central commissioner, Mrs. Goffry Kouame Kra said UNOCI and development partners have been with the Commission from the beginning and it was important for them to come to the field to see things for themselves. She expressed the wish for continued support.



As at now, 35,000 persons have been heard throughout the country. The public hearings are expected to go on till 31 July 2014.