The chief of the UN
assessment Mission visits Bouaké: "The crisis will be resolved very soon"

Le patriote  -
The UN assessment
mission for the crisis-resolution process which has been in Côte d'Ivoire for
several days, was in Bouaké yesterday. Led by Mr. Zenenga, chief of the Africa
Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the UN delegation went
first to the Prefect's office were they met with the Prefecture's
Secretary-General. Then, they met the Forces Nouvelles' Secretariat-General.
They held a meeting with Colonel Bamba Sinima, Chief of staff of Mr. Guillaume
Soro. Both parties discussed the progress made so far in the Ouagadougou
Political Agreement on the ground. Colonel Bamba also explained the remaining
phases. During the meeting, Mr. Zenenga recalled that after the consultations
that the mission held in Abidjan, several regions in the country have been
visited, namely the regions in the west and the centre of the country. For the
Chief of Mission, it was about getting to know the realities on the ground after
the meetings in meeting rooms. "This kind of visit allows us to compare what we
discussed behind closed doors with what happens here on the ground", he said.
According to him, no aspect of the assessment should be neglected, since the
mission is drawing to a close. "Now that our mission is drawing to its close, we
will be able to put link what we had discussed in the conference rooms with what
we see on the ground", said Mr. Zenenga. For him, all of the aspects are
important. "All of this gives us the opportunity to find out information in
order to make an assessment", he explained. The UN emissary, therefore, asked
for more information on the ICC's functioning, the collaboration between the
administrative authorities and the FN. The Chief of Staff of the Forces
Nouvelles' Secretary-General seized the opportunity to give precision on several
issues. He mentioned the issues of demobilization, the regrouping of the
soldiers of the FDS-FN which has been blocked due to lack of resources. "The
lack of resources is also affecting the good functioning of the ICC", Colonel
Bamba Sinima added. In addition, he told the assessment mission that the issue
of the creation of a single State treasury and the redeployment of the
administration were discussed during seminars which were initiated by the Forces
Nouvelles. Also, he continued, important resolutions were made and their
implementation will contribute to creating a peaceful and serene climate which
can result in the holding of election. The chief of the Africa Division in the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations expressed his optimism as regard the quick
resolution of the Ivorian crisis. "Of course, the crisis will not last. We
believe that it will end soon", he assured.

Rearmament, repairing war
equipment...: The UN fears resumption of hostilities

Le Nouveau Reveil  -
The members of the
expert team on Côte d'Ivoire has conducted an investigation on the country's
situation. The investigation included all the sectors (political, economic, and
social). But the investigation involved the important issue of the
ex-belligerents' armament. In the last report, the Group is worried about the
repairing of arms in all of the camps. And this is the reason it fears a
resumption of hostilities. Here are large extracts of the half-mandate's report
which was established in accordance with paragraph 12 of the Security Council's
Resolution 1893 (2009). (...) on 15 March 2010, the Group was informed that the
drone and the control post were no longer in Yamoussoukro' headquarters. (...) the
Group fears that the drone had been taken to Abidjan for surveillance. It
recalls that one of the members saw the same kind of drone which did not belong
to the Impartial Forces (UNOCI and Licorne), flying over Abidjan on 14 February
2010. (...) the group is asking the Burkina Faso Government to open investigations
on the transfer of arms and munitions from Burkina Faso to the north of Côte
d'Ivoire. The Group recommends that the government of Côte d'Ivoire gives its
position regarding the inspection of the Republican Guard units to the Sanction
Committee, because of the observations of the permanent Representative of Côte
d'Ivoire to the United Nations. (...) the Group recommends to the leaders of the
coffee-cocoa branch, the international companies and the neighbour countries to
remain vigilant faced with cocoa contraband and take necessary measures to avoid
payment to Ivorian parties, especially the Forces Nouvelles' zone Commander, who
can use this fund to make illegal purchase of arms and related material. (...)

Human rights- the
International Criminal Court (ICC) turns its attention on Côte d'Ivoire

Fraternité Matin  -
The office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) could
visit Abidjan in the coming weeks to inquire about the crimes which have been
committed in Côte d'Ivoire since the politico-military crisis started in 2002.
This is what has been said during the press briefing which was held yesterday at
the LIDHO's headquarters by its Chairman, Dr. André Banhouman Kamaté, in the
framework of the summary of the 37^th ordinary congress of the
International Federation for Human Rights (IFHR) held from 4 to 10 April 2010 in
Erevan in the Republic of Armenia. According to the LIDHO's Chairman, in
addition to the work of the 37^th congress, the Ivorian delegation
held a meeting with Mrs. Mariana Pena, delegate of the IFHR to the International
Criminal Court, for an intervention by the ICC in Côte d'Ivoire, as regard the
violations carried out since September 2002, by the government as well as the
ex-rebellion. Still according to Dr, André Banhouman Kamaté, LIDHO's Chairman,
the delegate of the IFHR said that "the ICC is ready to go to Côte d'Ivoire".
However, what the Human Rights organizations could view as delay in the ICC's
intervention is, according to the delegate, related to the programme and the
working methodology of the institution.

Blockage of the
crisis-resolution process - Abdoulaye Wade gives a helping hand to the OPA: what
are his chance of succeeding?

Soir Info  (...) -
The Senegalese President, Mr. Abdoulaye Wade is expected in Abidjan tomorrow
Thursday 22 April 2010, we heard yesterday from a source close to the Ivorian
President's office. Through the "courtesy and working visit", Wade will give a
helping hand to the peace process, which is now at an impasse. (...) it is
scheduled, in his timetable, that he will hold meetings with the political
actors, namely the signatories of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement and the
different components of the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace
(RHDP) and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) (...) the Head of State,
Laurent Gbagbo, the Special Representatives of the Facilitator and the UN
Secretary-General, Y. J. Choi before going back to his country, the same day.
Abodoulaye Wade "comes to provide support to the Facilitator" Blaise Compaoré,
said our source. In fact, since the recent trip made by Gbagbo to Bobodioulasso,
Abidjan and Bobodioulasso are no longer on good term. In some embassies in the
economic capital, it seems that Abidjan wants to put the Burkinabe mediation on
standby due to the divergence of views which has arisen. While the Ivorian Head
of state wants a total restart, through an audit of the provisional electoral
list of 5,300 million persons already validated, namely by the INS, Sagem and
the IEC, the President of Faso does not share this point of view; he prefers the
"preservation of the achievements made so far". (...) so Mr. Wade was asked to
help resolve the problem. The Senegalese President is acquainted with the
Ivorian crisis. Under its leadership, Senegal participated in the resolution of
the Ivorian crisis at the beginning of the rebellion through its Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Cheik Tidiane Gadio.

The CEI: An institution under
supervision. Here are the problems on the horizon.

Soir Info
- (...) The Youssouf Bakayoko
version of the President of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is
certainly waiting for the two signatories of the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement
(APO) - Gbagbo and Soro, to find solutions to the questions of disarmament, the
provisional electoral list, the renewal of local IEC which divide them, before
starting its work. This attitude added to others, leads to the conclusion that
the IEC is not as independent as its name indicates. Better still, the
institution responsible for the organization of the elections, we could say, is
under control (...) the conclusion is that the IEC is suffering from a
disturbing stagnation, even though its president continues to insist that he is
not autistic or "voiceless". The current IEC's impasse, we can say is linked to
the crisis between the presidential camp and the Forces Nouvelles (FN), both
parties engaged in the Ouagadougou Political Agreement.

Colonel Ange Kessi: a criminal
case can not be managed like a civil case.

Fraternité Matin  -
The chief of the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP)'s
executive board, Prof. Alphonse Djedje Mady did not respond to the military
court's invitation, yesterday. It was the second time, the RHDP' spokesman and
secretary general of the PDCI-RDA refused to answer to the military summons.
Therefore, the government commissioner, Lt-Colonel Ange Kessi Kouame Bernard, in
charge of the ongoing investigations, was obliged to explain at a press
conference, why Prof.Mady was summoned. "Djedje Mady is summoned to appear
before the investigators and not before the military court. This is why the
summons was given to him by gendarmes. (...) But he must know that this is a
criminal case and it is not handled like a civil case where lawyers are involved
exclusively in the procedures. (...) Prof. Mady was convened along with hundreds
of persons among whom the Regional Prefect of Gagnoa. All of them had been
already heard by the gendarmerie.

Djedje Mady Appearance before
the military court - The RHDP opposes itself and declares war against Ange
Kessy.

L'Expression
 - The Rally of
Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) has decided to initiate the battle
with the military court in Abidjan. During a press conference yesterday at the
headquarters of the PDCI in Cocody, the RHDP urged its supporters to oppose this
procedure. Alphonse Djedje Mady, Secretary General of the PDCI Rda, did not
appear yesterday, before the government commissioner Ange Kessy Kouame as
decided the day before(...) At the press conference held yesterday, Alassane Salif
N'Diaye, the spokesman of the RHDP, the PDCI Rda, the RDR, the UDPCI and Mfa
agreed not to ''deliver'' Djedje Mady to Ange Kessy. Indeed, these four parties
have asked their supporters to block any action of the military court and to
"stay mobilized and ready for any eventuality, because enough is enough!" For
this platform of opposition political parties, the military tribunal is not
competent to judge the Secretary General of the PDCI, a civilian who also has
the status of a former government official.
(...)