Peace process: Choi invites
Ivorian artists to contribute to establishing a peaceful electoral environment

Fraternité Matin  -
 Over sixty Ivorian
artists have pledged  to continue to work for a peaceful electoral environment. 
The commitment which was made during the sensitization and exchange workshop
initiated by the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) in
partnership with the National Union of the Artists of Côte d'Ivoire (UNARTCI) in
Abidjan on Wednesday, was an opportunity for the artists to better understand
the role, the mandate and the activities of the Mission. They also expressed
their concerns and expectations. The Special Representative of the United
Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Y. J. Choi, who briefly took part
in the meeting, congratulated the artists for their commitment to the promotion
of peace. He spoke briefly on the electoral process, outlining the Mission's
three objectives: maintaining peace and stability, the provisional electoral
list and producing the definitive electoral list, as soon as possible. "The
situation is not encouraging but we should not become discouraged", he said. Mr.
Choi also called on all of the Ivorian artists to convey a vision of the Ivorian
people's future. He also assured them that UNOCI was determined to fulfill all
its obligations regarding copyright... In this regard, UNARTCI's Chairman, Gadji
Céli Saint Joseph, thanked the Mission for this initiative, considering that it
gives hope to a whole people and also gave work to the artists. He reassured the
UN Mission that the artists were determined to go the whole way with UNOCI and
reestablish peace. The artists welcomed UNOCI Chief's commitment. Appreciating
the regular payment of their copyright, they thanked Mr. Choi for having kept
his word.

Four chiefs of UNOCI's
sections presented in turn their mandate, their role and their activities for
the populations: the Chief of the Electoral Assistance Division, Ahmedou El
Becaye Seck, the deputy Chief of the Human Rights Division, Guillaume Ngefa, Tra
Siagbé from the Gender Unit, the Chief of the HIV/AIDS, Dorcella Bazahica. Mr.
Seck said: « You are elements of civil society; you should commit your
compatriots to promoting a peaceful electoral environment through messages of
unity and peace".

Guillaume Ngefa insisted on
their importance: "You are able to touch directly and deeply people's minds and
to contribute to changing behaviour", he said. Mr. Tra Siagbé from the Gender
Unit also insisted on equality between men and women for a peaceful electoral
environment. The artists committed themselves to conveying messages that do not
discredit women in their song, writings and shows. For her part, the chief of
the Gender Unit, Dorcella Bazahica, appealed for a greater involvement of
artists in the fight against HIV/Aids. "You are models and public persons; your
fans are looking up to you" Mrs. Bazahica stressed. At the close of the
presentations, the artists directly exchanged views with the chiefs of the
various sections. They especially discussed ways and means to better collaborate
with UNOCI in order to better convey messages for peace, social cohesion and
unity. [...].

Daloa: over 2000 UN soldiers
of the Bangladeshi contingent decorated

Agence Ivoirienne de Presse
(AIP)- 2059
UN soldiers from the Bangladeshi contingent based in Daloa were decorated on
Tuesday by the United Nations, in the presence of the Special Representative of
the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Young Jin Choi. The
recipients were 113 officers, 90 non-commissioned officers and 1856 professional
soldiers, all from the 10^th rotation of the Bangladeshi contingent,
which is ending its mission. Mr. Choi paid them tribute for their contribution
to the peace effort but also for all of the help they provided to the Ivorian
people through the implementation of various Quick Impact Projects. Besides, Y.
J. Choi seized the opportunity to outline the current objectives of the United
Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) at a time when conflicting opinions
are being voiced regarding the electoral process. He said that it includes
maintaining the peace effort, preserving achievements made so far as regard the
provisional electoral list, and working to publish and certify the definitive
electoral list.
[...]

In Sakassou, UNOCI promotes
peace in schools

Agence Ivoirienne de Presse
(AIP) -
UNOCI, the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire, launched on Wednesday in
the Lycée Moderne of Sakassou (centre-north, Bandama Valley region) a school
caravan program for the promotion and transmission of the ideals of peace which
was recently launched in schools.

UNOCI trains the officials of
private non-commercial radios.

Le Jour plus  The
United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), in collaboration with the
National Council of Audiovisual Communication (CNCA) and the Union of Community
Radios in  Côte d'Ivoire ( URPCI) have started a training workshop for the
leaders of twenty private non-commercial radio this morning at Daloa, about 400
km in the north of Abidjan.io. During two days, the participants will discuss
about "The private non-commercial radio and the challenges of establishing a
peaceful electoral environment". According to the Regional Chief of the
Public Information Office of UNOCI in Daloa, Malick Faye, the objective of the
seminar is to increase the knowledge of the participants and develop their
reflexes that could help them accurately manage information during the
elections. "The seminar will enable them to identify the best subjects on which
to report in order to adequately inform the electorate. M. Faye also stressed
the vital contribution of the private non-commercial radios to restore a
peaceful electoral environment. This seminar is part of the media support
program set up five years ago in Côte D'Ivoire and conducted by UNOCI in close
collaboration with the Ministry of Communications, the CNCA and the URPCI.
Several presentations were made on the first day. The first presentation,
jointly delivered by Monique Rasoloarivelo Nsengiyumva and Gregory of the
electoral assistance division of UNOCI in Daloa, focused on the development and
the implementation of a plan for the civic education of the electorate. This
education will be implemented through a program of information during the next
stages of the electoral process. The Deputy Director of the CNCA in charge of
programs, Daouda Traore, in the second presentation, recalled the role of
community radios. According to M. Traoré, they must work to promote social
cohesion. "All this must be done in the respect of the specifications and avoid
any politically charged information," he said. This training follows a previous
one held in Korhogo on 23 and 24 March.

Tete a tete:
Gbagbo- Compaoré in Bobo-Dioulasso

Fraternité Matin
 - "Bobo-Dioulasso,
the second city of Burkina Faso, is hosting this morning, President Laurent
Gbagbo and Blaise Compaoré. According to sources close to the Presidency of
Faso, the two heads of state will analyze the obstacles in the current electoral
process in Côte D'Ivoire in order to find appropriate solutions and put it back
on track. The two presidents will certainly discuss about the crosschecking of
the provisional electoral list, reconstitution of  Local Independent Electoral
Commissions (LIEC) demanded by the presidential camp, but rejected by the Rally
of the Houphouetistes for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), and the Forces Nouvelles
(FN).   Mssrs. Gbagbo and Compaoré will also talk about the disarmament of
former combatants, the reunification of the territory, the state funds and the
former warring armies. Yesterday, March 31, the head of the Ivorian government,
PM Guillaume Soro, met with the Facilitator of the direct dialogue in
Ouagadougou. According to AFP, Boureima Badini, the Special Representative of
Blaise Compaoré in Côte D'Ivoire who went to Ouagadougou Tuesday, said that the
purpose of this meeting is "to resume as soon as possible" the electoral process
in order to have the final electoral list, carry out the disarmament exercise
and the unify  the state treasury. The crucial mission of the President of
Burkina Faso, as the arbiter of Ouagadougou Political Agreement (APO) is to
resolve the issues between the former belligerents. [...]

Renewal of the electoral
process: Soro consults Compaoré

L'Expression
 - This is an open secret
in Côte d'Ivoire. The electoral process is broken down for want of "political
will". Following the verbal skirmish between the presidential camp and the
Forces Nouvelles, Prime Minister Guillaume Soro has resumed his shuttle
diplomacy to put the electoral process back on track. He met, yesterday, with
President Blaise Compaoré in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso.
After the meeting, the Special Representative of the Facilitator, Boureima
Badini, said that the aim of the visit was to quickly resume the electoral
process. Besides the renewal of the electoral operations, the occupant of the
Kosyam Palace and his guest discussed the issue of disarmament, the creation of
a single state treasury and the reunification of the territory. After the head
of the government, Blaise Compaoré will meet today with his Ivorian counterpart,
Laurent Gbagbo, in Bobo Dioulasso to discuss about the revival of the electoral
process [...]