United Nations peacekeepers in Côte d'Ivoire, where former president
Laurent Gbagbo refuses to step down despite his electoral defeat, are
crucial to preventing a possible resumption of civil war, and they
will respond with force if attacked, the top UN envoy in the country
said today.
The UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) has the prime tasks of
protecting civilians and guarding the Golf Hotel, where the clear
winner of November's run-off election, opposition leader Alassane
Ouattara, and his Government are based in light of Mr. Gbagbo's
refusal to vacate the presidential palace, Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon's Special Representative Y. J. Choi noted.
The election, with its results certified by the UN, was meant to be
the culminating point in reunifying the West African country, which
was split by civil war in 2002 into a Government-controlled south
ruled from Abidjan, the commercial capital, and a rebel-held north
governed from the city of Bouaké.
"But for our protection of the Golf, President Ouattara's Government
could be forced to move to Bouaké, and that would mean the division of
the country and perhaps the resumption of the civil war," Mr. Choi
said after meeting with the new president in the hotel.
Mr. Gbagbo has demanded the withdrawal of the 9,000-strong UNOCI. Not
only has the UN refused this but the Security Council last month, in a
unanimous resolution adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter,
which allows for the use of force, authorized the immediate deployment
of an additional 2,000 troops and three armed helicopters.
Mr. Choi has said the reinforcements will provide a "rapid reaction
capability" essential for the protection of civilians both in Abidjan,
where Gbagbo loyalists have launched attacks against civilians and UN
personnel, and in the country's west, which has seen an outburst of
ethnic fighting that has already driven more than 50,000 people from
their homes. More than 300 people have died in the violence.
UN patrols day and night in Abidjan's Abobo neighbourhood attest to
the mission's determination to protect civilians, he added in a
separate interview with UNOCI's Peace Radio, dubbing harassment by
Gbagbo loyalists as a "mini cold war."
Asked whether the peacekeepers will react in the case of attacks, Mr.
Choi replied: "Absolutely. We will not allow ourselves to be
threatened by direct attacks. But for the moment they are not direct
attacks, they are rather harassment, barricades, roadblocks here and
there. But we're still able to get provisions to the Golf Hotel.
"There are principles that we cannot accept. We are going to continue
our freedom of movement," he added, noting that the UN patrols now
carry teargas grenades. "That proves that we are not going to let
anybody prevent us from carrying out our prime mandate, which is the
protection of civilians."
More than 33,000 Ivorians have fled to neighbouring Liberia from
western Côte d'Ivoire, where UN officials have warned that ethnic
tensions stemming from national, racial and religious affiliation
linked to the opposing camps could lead to genocide, crimes against
humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing. Some 20,000 people have
been internally displaced
UN agencies have voiced concerns that if the current trends in refugee
influx continue, there could be as many as 50,000 refugees in Liberia
this month and 100,000 by the end of April.
UNOCI has been supporting the stabilization and reunification efforts
in the country over the past seven years and was asked by all sides to
certify the election results.<p class="kword">Cote</p>
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