The United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and staff officers of the Republican Forces of Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI) conducted from 3 to 10 May 2016, an awareness campaign for the Bounkani.based FRCI on conflict-related sexual violence.

This activity was organized in the aftermath of deadly inter-community clashes which occurred in this northeastern region of Cote d’Ivoire and which forced thousands of people to flee their villages.

For a week, through a series of workshops, UNOCI Woman Protection Adviser, Caroline Allibert-Delestras, working under the umbrella of the United Nations initiative against sexual violence (UN Action); Legal Adviser of the Office of the Chief of Staff of FRCI, Nanourou Berthé and the commander of the security operation "Sealed Peace" of the National Army in the Bounkani region, Colonel Jean-Hubert Ouassénan, sensitised more than 400 FRCI elements on the importance of early crisis warning, denouncing and reporting cases of sexual violence.

The last workshop that targeted the FRCI of eastern Battalion of Bondoukou ended on 10 May. “To be deployed in the field and to openly discuss with soldiers based in the most remote areas of the country by using simple and accessible language was the best part of this operation in which I took part," said Mr. Berthé.

For his part, Colonel Ouassénan, who along with 46 other FRCI unit commanders, signed in 2015 a written engagement to fight against sexual violence, said: "I encourage this type of awareness on all theaters of operation in the future.”

How is the fight against conflict-related sexual violence in Côte d’Ivoire? According to Ms. Allibert-Delestras, the FRCI have made remarkable progress since 2012 and the United Nations will continue to support them in their battle against this scourge. She recalled that since 2014, the Ivorian National Army has adopted a specific action plan to end sexual violence, including the organization of activities to prevent and fight against the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators.