As part of its training, information-sharing and sensitisation activities in support of the Ivorian Government, the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) has initiated a series of training sessions on human rights for members of the armed forces based in Odienné, situated at some 850 km northwest of Abidjan. During a session held on Thursday, 10 April 2014, some 30 elements of the Forces Républicaines de Côte d'Ivoire (FRCI) were trained on the protection and promotion of human rights, respect for human rights norms and their hierarchy, as well as the restoration of State authority.



Speaking at the training session, the representative of UNOCI's Human Rights Division, Allou Etienne, stressed the importance for a soldier to know about human rights in order to be able to respect these rights. "A soldier who ignores human rights is not only a danger to himself but also to the population that he has a duty to protect. You have a mission to protect human rights, it is therefore important for you to be trained and sensitised on respecting human rights. You should know that whatever the fault of an individual, you must treat him or her with dignity and respect," he added.

For Ouattara Peyogori of UNOCI's Civil Affairs Section, the presence of a soldier should be reassuring to people and not a source of fear. "The existence of soldiers is justified by the protection of civilians because a civilian is a vulnerable individual. So, your presence anywhere must be reassuring for the civilian and not cause him fear. Remember that everything you do must be done for the protection of civilians," he insisted.



For his part, the commander of the FRCI in Odienné, Colonel Dramane Traoré, in his opening speech, stressed the need for his men to be trained in the protection and promotion of human rights. "It is the lack of knowledge of human rights that has led to the excesses that we have experienced recently. I thank UNOCI because this training will contribute to a change in the behaviour of my men," he said.