UN Security Council imposes targeted sanctions in Côte d'Ivoire

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UN Security Council imposes targeted sanctions in Côte d'Ivoire

2011-03-31 06:30:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday decided to impose targeted sanctions against former president Laurent Gbagbo, his wife and three associates while demanding and end to violence in Côte d'Ivoire.

The decision came with the post-electoral deadlock in the North African country entering its fifth month and the crisis showing no signs of abating. The Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1975 and urged Gbagbo to immediately step aside.

The Council repeated the calls made for months since Gbagbo was defeated in the UN-certified and ratified elections by opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara in November 2010.

"The Council condemns in the strongest terms the recent escalation of violence throughout the country which could amount to crimes against humanity," the 15-member body said in the resolution.

The sanctions were imposed on the individuals who obstruct peace and reconciliation in the country, obstruct the work of UN peacekeeping mission in the country (UNOCI) and other international actors and commit serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

In addition to Gbagbo and his wife, Simone, the resolution imposed targeted financial and travel measures against Désiré Tagro, Secretary General in the so-called 'presidency' of Gbagbo; Pascal Affi N'Guessan, Chairman of the Ivorian Popular Front; and Alcide Djédjé, Gbagbo's close advisor.

More than 400 people have died in the violent crisis stemming from the December 2010 presidential elections which 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.

Violence continues to escalate in recent weeks, including attacks against unarmed civilians in the capital city Abidjan. On Monday, at least 12 innocent people were killed as pro-Gbagbo forces shot at innocent civilians in the suburb of Williamsville.

Furthermore, a group of pro-Gbagbo youths burned a man alive in the Riviera area of Abidjan while another gang savagely attacked two UNOCI staff members. In addition, elements of the Forces Républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI), loyal to Ouattara, fired at an UNOCI's helicopter but failed to hit it. The UN considered the attack a war crime.

"UNOCI condemns this wave of atrocities against civilians and warns that these acts will not go unpunished," said the mission on Tuesday. "With the increase in human rights violations and barbaric practices, there are grounds for wondering whether President Gbagbo is still in charge of his forces and supporters."

More than 93,000 people have fled to the neighboring Liberia to the west while over a million people have been internally displaced due to the deteriorating security situation and the escalation in the use of heavy weapons against civilians.

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