UN voices outrage at deadly attack on civilians in Côte d'Ivoire's market

UN voices outrage at deadly attack on civilians in Côte d'Ivoire's market

2011-03-22 03:46:00 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations Security Council on Monday voiced its outrage at last week's deadly attack on a market in Côte d'Ivoire that left 30 civilians dead.

The Security Council warned that it will punish anyone who obstructs the resolution of the country’s prolonged post-election crisis. According to the UN peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), 30 unarmed civilians were killed and 60 others injured in Abobo neighborhood in Abidjan last Thursday.

The deadly attack was carried out by elements of the Ivorian Defense and security forces (FDSCI), which are loyal to former president Laurent Gbagbo who was defeated in last November's presidential elections by opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara.

Ambassador Wang Min of China, which holds the Council presidency this month, stressed that deadly attack as the one perpetrated at the market will not go unpunished and the responsible individuals must be held accountable.

"The members of the Security Council reiterate their deep concern about the continuing post-electoral crisis in Côte d'Ivoire and its negative humanitarian consequences on the civilian population, including refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs)," Wand said.

The Security Council is considering imposing measures and sanctions to "those who impede the peaceful resolution of the crisis, obstruct the work of UNOCI and other international actors in Côte d'Ivoire or commit violations of human rights and international humanitarian law."

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the continuing attacks on civilians in the troubled African nation. Clinton pointed out that Gbagbo's continued indiscriminate violence cannot be tolerated.

Gbabgo continues to refuse stepping down after the UN-certified and internationally recognized presidential election. More than 400 people have died in the violent crisis that followed the polls.

The December 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. Some 370,000 people have been internally displaced and over 70,000 more have fled to neighboring Liberia.

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