A representative of the Child Protection unit of the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) has condemned the maltreatment of children which has become rampant in the Michelkro area.



In a meeting organized by UNOCI in Michelkro, near Duekoue, 580 km north-west of Abidjan on 6 May 2014 in collaboration with the NGO, and the Ivorian Ministry of Agriculture, the child protection official said "when you give machetes to children to work from morning till night, you deprive them of their development. You keep them away from school and you scold them. Genital mutilation and the consequences suffered by children affect them today as young girls and tomorrow as adults."



The UNOCI officials called for the protection of children against maltreatment by paying more attention to them. "Avoid practices related to gender-based violence such as scolding, physical aggression, and rape."

A Civil Affairs representative called for the promotion of social cohesion and the respect for diversity, rights and obligations of every one. "There are no rights without obligations. To respect authority is to respect the law," he said.

The UN Police representative spoke on the maintenance of social cohesion. "The support we give to local security forces in joint patrols, technical assistance and other domains contribute to the protection of civilians and the maintenance of social cohesion," he explained.

The representative of "Bonne Action" called on participants to opt for dialogue in times of conflict in order to preserve social cohesion.

The Ministry of Agriculture official discussed the law on rural lands which provides for the ownership of land and promotes peaceful co-existence among the population. He advised that contracts for sharecropping should be explicit.

The sensitization meeting was followed by a question- and- answer session which also raised the issue of racketeering at military road blocks.

The Chief of Michelkro, Pierre Konan Koffi expressed satisfaction with the meeting and promised to do all he can for the maintenance of social cohesion in his village. He also expressed some concerns to local authorities about the need for potable water, the grading of the earth road and the building of a primary school.