The United Nations in Côte d’Ivoire and the Ivorian Interior Ministry, on 14,15 and 16 April 2016, presented an analysis on conflict to local government officials, traditional and community and representatives of youth and women’s association in Gôh Region at a seminar in Gagnoa.

At the opening ceremony, the head of the UN delegation, Yacoub Abba Daworo of the United Nations Police highlighted the importance of the seminar which aims to improve conflict management which will in turn lead to good governance. « The aim of the workshop is to provide you with the necessary instruments which will enable you to manage conflict thereby resulting in good governance in your respective localities » he said.

In addition, Mr. Daworo stressed on the need to readapt existing mechanisms in order to meet the numerous challenges and expectations on peaceful conflict resolution. « The consolidation of peace is an important work which requires everybody’s contribution and involvement. (...) Today, there signs of hope for prosperous and peaceful Côte d’Ivoire. It is the duty of each and everyone of us to consolidate the gains made so far by regrouping our efforts together and continue to work to strengthen social cohesion », added Mr. Daworo.

For his part, the Prefect of Gagnoa Department, Remi N’Zi Kanga, welcomed the organisation of the seminar, which he said was being held at an opportune moment. « The quest for peace needs to be our « raison d’être » because nothing can be definitively achieved when we are still seraching for peace and social cohesion».

The workshop had two main objectives:

The first was to provide participants with the mechanisms and instruments of analysing conflict prevention by presenting them with a matrix of conflicts and the organ to consolidate conflict-related data which involves traditional and local government authorities.

The second involved focussing on the mechanisms and instruments of community management which comprises proposals on procedures for resolving land disputes in villages, proposals on the structural organisation of villages, capacity-building on planning activities and managing community projects, from local government authorities and village chiefs.

Some seven modules were presented during the three-day workshop by Louis Bonaventure Ouléï and Michel Séka from UNOCI’s Civil Affairs Section and Innocent Poho from the Directorate General of the Territorial Administration.

At the end of the seminar which counted some 40 participants, several recommendations were made including the need to involve security forces in workshops on conflict management and prevention and the need for local government officials to sensitise traditional chiefs on the resolutions resulting from the seminar and the need to always show impartiality in conflict resolution.