To ensure that young people fully understand the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process so they can benefit from it: that was the objective of the discussion session initiated by the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), in support of the activities of the Ivorian Authority for DDR (ADDR) on Friday, 2 August 2013, with young people in Djidoubaye, situated some 675 km west of Abidjan on the road between Zagné and Taï.





The participants, most of whom were young people at risk, ex-combatants and semi-illiterate youths, were sensitized by a team from UNOCI's DDR Division in the Cavally region. The discussions focused on the DDR process and the conditions that have to be fulfilled in order to benefit from a reinsertion project.



Welcoming the meeting between UNOCI and the youths, the representative of the DDR Division, encouraged participants to hand in their weapons to the competent organizations such as the ADDR and the Commission Nationale de Lutte contre la Prolifération et la Circulation Illicite des Armes Légères et de Petit Calibre (COMNAT-CI). "In an effort to establish peace in the country, the State has used all necessary means to ensure that these organizations are operational. It is now up to you to hand over the weapons in your possession and take advantage of all the programmes available for reinsertion," he said. The time has come to stabilize and rebuild the country, he insisted, adding that young people need to contribute to the return of normalcy. "Let's join hands together and walk towards peace," he said.



The session was attended by the vice-president of the Association of Ex-combatants of the Moyen Cavally Region, Kouhan Fernand, who has already benefitted from the DDR programme. "You must all recriminations behind you, the war is over. Those who are still keeping arms should hand them in so that they can benefit from the opportunities which will allow each one of us to progress. The reintegration of ex-combatants is real, you should believe in it," he said, explaining the reasons for his presence in Djidoubaye.



At the end of the meeting, the village chief, Bahé Séraphin, explained that a voluntary handover of weapons ceremony was organized in April 2011 with a follow-up, he therefore pleaded that this time those in charge of the DDR programme should ensure that the youth of Djidoubaye benefit from the projects.