16 November 2004
Washington, DC — The UN Security Council on November 15 voted to impose an arms embargo on all parties in Cote d'Ivoire.
The measure was strongly supported by African leaders who fear not only new violence in the West African country, but also setbacks for peace in the surrounding region. Few observers have any confidence in the potential for France to promote reconciliation in its former colony. But even fewer believe that Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo is willing to abandon the effort to crush his opponents by force, including recourse to hate appeals targeting not only the French but also the rebels and other West Africans.
While the prospects of resuming the stalled and now interrupted peace process are not high, the rapid international consensus signals a felt urgency to contain the effect of the crisis as much as possible. This contains several short press statements and background reports, from UN agencies, Human Rights Watch, and the All Africa Conference of Churches. For additional background and links see
http://www.africafocus.org/country/cotedivoire.php
Cote d'Ivoire, for which the UN has received only 18% of its modest 2004 humanitarian appeal of $61 million, is one of the "forgotten crises" noted in last week's launch of the 2005 UN humanitarian appeal for $1.7 billion for crises around the world, not including the Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, or Colombia. Another today contains the section of that appeal for West Africa.
As of this month, the full 2004 consolidated appeal for $3.4 billion is only 55% funded.
Cote d'Ivoire: Rein in Militias, End Incitement
U.N. Peacekeepers Must Be Ready and Willing to Protect Civilians
Human Rights Watch
(New York, November 11, 2004) - As the security situation in Cote d'Ivoire deteriorates, the Ivorian authorities must ensure that pro-government militias end all attacks and threats against civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. The government must also cease radio or television broadcasts intended to incite violence against perceived government opponents, Human Rights Watch said today.
United Nations peacekeepers, under Security Council resolution 1528, have the responsibility "to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence." Both within Abidjan and the rural areas, and most urgently in the western cacao-growing region, U.N.
peacekeepers should conduct frequent patrols and make their presence felt in areas heavily populated by vulnerable groups. In recent years, northerners, Muslims and West African immigrants have come under attack from pro-government militias, which accuse them of supporting the northern-based rebellion.
"Until they were evacuated, French citizens bore the brunt of the militias' xenophobic attacks. Now we are concerned the militias will turn their rage on their more familiar targets - Muslims, northerners and West African immigrants," said Peter Takirambudde, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Africa Division. "Given the history of militia abuses during Cote d'Ivoire's political crisis, the United Nations must anticipate such attacks and be ready to respond."
Over the last few days, local Ivorian human rights activists in hiding told Human Rights Watch about numerous cases of northern civilians and opposition supporters whose houses and business in Abidjan had been ransacked or burned by pro-government militias. On Tuesday, pro-government militias attacked northerners and West African immigrants in the western town of Gagnoa, killing at least five of them.
Speaking on state radio and television, government officials and militia leaders have disseminated continual messages inciting the militias to attack French civilians after French forces destroyed Ivorian aircraft. These messages recently spread to private radio stations. There has been at least one instance in which a broadcaster incitement of an attack included the number plate of a vehicle said to be driven by French nationals.
"The U.N. peacekeepers must be also prepared to silence broadcasts that incite or provide directions for violence," said Takirambudde.
Since 2000, when Gbagbo took over in flawed elections during which some 200 opposition supporters were killed, the pro-government militias and state security forces have largely ceased to work for the protection of the general population. Instead, they have become partisan supporters of the ruling party, the Ivorian Popular Front (Front Populaire Ivorien, or FPI), and its economic interests. The government has increasingly relied on these militias for both law enforcement and, following a coup attempt in 2002, to combat the rebellion. Members of the militias, the largest of which is the Young Patriots (Jeunes Patriotes), in recent months have reportedly been undergoing military training in Abidjan and elsewhere.
Drawn mainly from youth supporters of the ruling party, the militias have served as a lightly veiled mechanism to intimidate and abuse members of the political opposition and those suspected of opposing the government by virtue of their religion, ethnicity or nationality. Those targeted include northerners, Muslims and West African immigrants mostly from Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali and Guinea.
The pro-government militias have been responsible for numerous serious human rights abuses. In March, they took part in a violent crackdown against opposition supporters during a demonstration in Abidjan, in which at least 120 demonstrators were killed. On November 4, they attacked the hotel housing government ministers representing the opposition New Forces (Forces Nouvelles), and ransacked and burned the offices of at least two opposition newspapers. Throughout the year, rural militias have conducted lethal attacks against West African immigrant farmers in the western part of the country.
The Ivorian government's failure to hold members of the militias and security forces accountable for these abuses has only strengthened the impunity of these groups and emboldened the perpetrators, both in Abidjan and the rural areas. The U.N.
Security Council must therefore follow through with its commitments to ensure that perpetrators of serious human rights crimes from all sides to the conflict are held accountable. From 1999 onward, all parties to the conflict - including the Ivorian military, gendarmes, police forces, pro-government militias and combatants from several rebel factions - have committed serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law with total impunity.
On Tuesday a report by a U.N. Commission of Inquiry, which spent two months investigating serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, was due to be presented to the U.N.
Security Council. The report, which was sent to representatives of the Ivorian government and rebel movement in October, is said to contain recommendations on concrete steps the United Nations could take to ensure accountability.
Human Rights Watch believes that holding accountable those individuals responsible for the most serious crimes is crucial for fighting the prevailing culture of impunity and indeed ensuring that peace and stability take root in Cote d'Ivoire. The pursuit of justice for victims must play a central role in all future peace summits, negotiations and other efforts by the international community to end the conflict.
Press Release on the War in Cote d'Ivoire
November 15, 2004
All Africa Conference of Churches
Tel: 254-20-4441483, 4441338/9 7 Fax: 254-20-4443241, 4445835 Email: secretariat@aacc-ceta.org
Waiyaki Way, P.O. Box 14205 , 00800 Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya
[reposted from Worldwide Faith News archives http://www.wfn.org]
The War in Cote d'Ivoire Threatens Peace in West Africa and Central Africa
By Polycarp Omolo Ochilo
AACC Executive Secretary for International Affairs
Nairobi, November 14 - The on-going war in Cote d'Ivoire seriously threatens the prevailing fragile peace in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) General Secretary Rev. Dr. Mvume Dandala has said. Africa, he said, has held her breath for some time now, that these countries will not erupt into war again! But, he said, we were wrong again! War has erupted again in Cote d'Ivoire .
Recalling his recent Pastoral visit to Sierra Leone and Liberia last month, he said he saw hope, healing, and firm commitment for the attainment of a lasting peace from the citizens of these countries. This he said, is the momentum that other African countries and the International Community should seize and hold on to very firmly. These countries, others in Africa and the rest of the world , he said, need peace rather than war, period!!
Over 27 people have so far been killed in Cote d Ivoire since the war erupted. The number includes 10 French nationals killed in the air strike by the Cote d'Ivoire's Air Force. It is also estimated that over 1000 people have so far been wounded, and 37 Cote d'Ivoire loyalists, according to the presidential spokesman Alain Toussaint, have been killed.
Dr. Dandala, on behalf of the 170 member churches of the AACC expressed his gratitude to the quick response by the Chairperson of the African Union who is also the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency General Olesegun Obasanjo in mediating for peace in Cote d'Ivoire. He also paid similar tribute to the South African President Thabo Mbeki for similar efforts. The AACC membership he said, supports fully these initiatives as the only way for the achievement of a lasting peace. He further called for the continued combined efforts towards peace by citizens from these countries, other countries from the rest of Africa, the church in Africa and the international community as well.
He called on the people of Cote d'Ivoire to give peace a chance and urged them to offer God's love and friendship to each other as citizens of one country and children of God. In war, he said we kill each other, destroy civilizations, undermine our dignity, spirituality, and we plant seeds of hate, distrust and hopelessness among our people. We must, as Africans, refuse the road to war, rather we must opt for positive hope, lasting peace and God s love for all .
Dr. Dandala added that, it is time for African people to refuse war and reject leaders who promote war. We must opt for democratic and peaceful ways to power. This he said is one of the surest ways of ensuring that our governments become accountable to our people and respect for the sanctity of human life as God so desired. Africa must lay firm foundations of peace now that we shall bequeath our children of tomorrow and not the culture of corruption, greed and senseless wars. The church in Africa is called upon to use her prophetic voice in ensuring that peace prevails in Africa.
Dr. Dandala regretted that religious conflicts between the Christians and Muslims led to the deaths of people and destruction of churches and mosques. He said, the firm faith-based foundations that have worked so well for Christians and Muslims in Liberia must not be destroyed. These instruments have served the people of Liberia so well that we cannot accept voices of destruction and wars to overshadow them. Christians and Muslims must accept to live together in this shared world. This is God s will.
Dr. Dandala was reacting to the events in Africa while in the United States of America. His visit in the U.S.A. to meet with AACC Partners in the U.S.A., Heads of Churches and Civil Society groups was arranged by the Church World Service (New York office).
He proceeds to London for similar engagements next week before returning to the AACC headquarters in Nairobi.
The All Africa Conference of Churches is a fellowship of 169 member Churches and Christian Councils in 39 African Countries.
For further information, please contact:
Akinyi Lucy Ogot
AACC Communications and Advocacy Office,
Email: infodesk@aacc-ceta.org
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