Issues related to security, social cohesion and respect for human rights were discussed by the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), its partner, the Legal Aid clinic, and local people, during ONUCI Tour on Friday, 15 April 2016 in Guinkin located in the west of Côte d’Ivoire, situated at some 550 km from Abidjan.

The awareness campaign offered an opportunity UNOCI’s Public Information, Civil Affairs, Human Rights divisions, military observers and the Legal Aid Clinic to explain their mandates and roles to participants. They urged local people to respect the traditions of the village, its chief and national institutions.

They also asked people to cooperate with the security forces and report any case of rape and sexual exploitation. In addition, they urged the residents of Guinkin to favour peaceful settlement of conflicts, promote and protect human rights and strengthen social cohesion.

In the course of the discussions with UNOCI and the Legal Aid Clinic, residents in Guinkin highlighted the difficulties they faced in the village including increasing insecurity, robberies and rapes, the security forces ineffectiveness due to lack of adequate equipment, the presence of traditional hunters commonly called Dozo, and land conflicts.

At the end of the activity, they expressed their gratitude to UNOCI for its involvement in improving their living conditions and pleaded for more sensitization sessions.

“Thank you for coming to talk to us on these very important issues. We would like you to explain on our behalf, our daily insecurity problem to the appropriate authorities so that an adequate solution can be found. We will always welcome the opportunity to learn from you” said the village chief, Etienne Bazzaud.

To conclude the sensitization session, UNOCI and Legal Aid Clinic urged people to strengthen their collaboration with the security forces and the administrative authorities in order to establish a peaceful environment in Guinkin.