The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Aïchatou Mindaoudou, on 14 May 2015, presided over the closing ceremony of a series of intercommunity dialogue initiated by the Civil Affairs Section of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), which started on 12 May 2015 in Oupoyo, situated at 96 km from San Pedro in southwest Côte d'Ivoire.



Addressing participants after holding discussions with traditional chiefs, women and youths, Mrs Mindaoudou thanked them for their commitment to strengthening cohabitation in Oupoyo. « My visit will be unforgettable because what I see is a people determined to do all they can to put aside their differences and forget the past. You are a people determined to move forward and strengthen social cohesion, reconciliation, a people who have decided to look to the future and work to develop your locality, » she said.



The intercommunity meeting whose aim was to promote dialogue between the different communities living in Oupoyo in an effort to maintain and strengthen social cohesion were jointly organised by the local NGO Bobowi which supports local authorities and the population in their quest for lasting peace and the prevention of intercommunity violence. In explaining the reasons for such a commitment on the part of his organisation, the president of Bobowi, Gnepi Senghor was very clear : « My relatives are divided and cannot even find food to eat and yet they talk to us about politics. Well I say nonro that ! I must talk to them about peace and social cohesion so that in our villages people can live to together peacefully. This is the reason we called on UNOCI which the organisation best placed for talk about peace, » he said.



Separate listening sessions were organised on 12 May in Gueagui, Robert Porte, Gnakoreagui and Gnipi 2 villages. On 13 May, the people from these villages and those of neighbouring villages met at the Sous-préfecture of Oupoyo where they were sensitised by UNOCI's Public Information Office, Human Rights Division, Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration and Civil Affairs Sections on the importance of establishing a peaceful electoral environment, social cohesion and local development.



During the workshops, which ended on 14 May, participants tried to identify the obstacles to strengthening social cohesion between the different communities, suggest solutions to resolve these problems as well as the commitments and recommendation which resulted from the discussions. The results of these discussions were handed over to the Special Representative.



With regard to the recommendations which came out of the workshops, the emphasis was on strengthening the capaxcity of women in managing an association, q request to the Ivorian Government to build a secondary school in the Oupoyo sous-préfecture, provide an ambulance for the health centre, build literacy centres in the villages, support women's financial independence and provide them with the tools to earn their income.



The Prefect of the Department, Lenoir Kouassi, urged people to make a commitment to a peaceful electoral climate. « As a prelude to the forthcoming elections, I want peace to be in the hearts and minds of each and every one of you so that you can contribute to creating and maintaining a peaceful environment, » he said.