A delegation from the office of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) in Divo, composed of personnel from the Mission's Human Rights and Public Information Sections, on Thursday, 17 September 2015, went to Guépahouo sous-préfecture to talk about peace and a peaceful electoral environment with local people.



Guépahouo sous-préfecture which is in the department of Oumé with a population of 28,000, is situated at 110 kilometres north of Divo. It is composed of six villages inhabited by people who have largely lived in peace and harmony apart from tension between different youth groups over leadership issues.



The UNOCI delegation spoke with 25 people in Guépahouo, including village chiefs and local dignitaries, religious and community leaders and youth groups in the presence of the deputy prefect, Joël Stéphane Léyogne.



During the discussions, the representative of UNOCI's Public Information Section, Idrissa Koné, explained the mandate of the Mission, which involved the protection of civilians, and support to political dialogue and national reconciliation process, among other issues. {« In every election there are losers and winners »} he reminded his audience, before outlining the basic rules in the holding of elections. « Candidates should be able to campaign in safety and security, without hindrance, only legal means should be used to contest results, fair-play should be observed and results should be respected ». He then urged people of Guépahouo to work to create the right conditions for a peaceful electoral environment in preparation for elections which are due to be held in October 2015.



For his part, UNOCI's Human Rights Officer based in Yamoussoukro, Guy-Claude Assémian Aka, spoke on human righhts during an electoral period, stressing the importance of respecting children's rights, fighting against gender-based violence and avoid spreading rumour. He said that if certain fundamental liberties are respected during an electoral period then the election will take place without violence, in a peaceful climate where freedom of opinion, association and movement are respected. He concluded by urging young people not to take the law into their own hands. {« If you want to live in a peaceful environment, you must respect human rights and national institutions »}, he insisted.



The village chief of Guépahouo, William Yobo, and David Yao Bogui, a local dignitary, promised to take the messages on the importance of a peaceful electoral environment delivered by UNOCI back to the inhabitants of the locality. They also made a commitment to sensitise their youths so that {« elections in Guépahouo take place without argument and that their locality remains peaceful »}.



In his closing address, the deputy prefect of Guépahouo, Joël Stéphane Léyogne, reminded participants, that during an electoral period, as the Government's representative and collaborators of the Government, the deputy prefect and village chiefs have a duty to receive all political parties.