UN deplores use of force against demonstrators in Côte d’Ivoire

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UN deplores use of force against demonstrators in Côte d’Ivoire

2011-02-23 06:11:09 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations mission in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) on Tuesday deplored the recent excessive use of force against demonstrators in Abidjan and surrounding areas.

In the last couple of days, demonstrators have protested in the capital city and other regions calling for the dismissal of former President Laurent Gbagbo. However, security forces used excessive force and left dozens of people dead or wounded.

"UNOCI calls on all parties to exercise restraint at a time when political and diplomatic efforts are under way at the highest level to find a peaceful solution to the Ivorian post-electoral crisis," the mission said in a statement.

Gbagbo continues to deny the results of the presidential elections that took place last year in which opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara was elected as president. The polls were ratified and certified by a UN envoy.

Ouattara has been recognized by the international community as the duly elected president but Gbagbo refuses to step down. UNOCI has also warned that Gbagbo loyalist militias may be preparing for civil war.

"The Gbagbo clan has a long tradition of mobilizing militias and being very hostile and having armed mobs which it is at present trying to rally. Everything leads us to believe that we are seeing preparations for a civil war," said Commissioner Jean-Marie Bourry.

Furthermore, Gbagbo has demanded the withdrawal of the 9,000 UNOCI peacekeepers but the UN Security Council rejected the request and authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 troops and three armed helicopters.

On Thursday, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called on all sides for ending post-election crisis. The UN head voiced concern at the continuing violence and planned demonstrations which could increase tensions, undermining prospects for an early and peaceful end to the crisis.

Some 20,000 people have been internally displaced and over 33,000 more have fled to neighboring Liberia due to the violence between both sides. 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.

The 2010 presidential elections were meant to be the culminating point in reunifying a country split by civil war in 2002 into a Government-controlled south and a rebel-held north.


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