Un'S Ban: CôTe D'Ivoire Peacekeepers Take 'All Necessary Measures' To Defend And Protect

UN's Ban: Côte d’Ivoire peacekeepers take 'all necessary measures' to defend and protect

2011-04-05 06:00:25 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday instructed peacekeepers in Côte d’Ivoire to take "all necessary measures" to defend themselves and protect innocent lives amid the worsening crisis in the West African nation.

Supported by French forces, peacekeepers in Côte d’Ivoire went on and carried out a military operation to prevent the use of heavy weapons against civilians in Abidjan after Ban's instructions.

Ban described the security situation as "dramatically" deteriorated over the past days, with fighting having escalated between forces loyal to the democratically-elected and UN-certified president, Alassane Ouattara, and those forces remaining loyal to the former leader, Laurent Gbagbo.

"This is a direct consequence of Mr. Gbagbo's refusal to relinquish power and allow a peaceful transition to President Ouattara,†Ban stated. "The country has been plunged into violence with a heavy toll on the civilian population."

In the past few days, forces loyal to Gbagbo have intensified and escalated their use of heavy weapons such as mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns against the civilian population in Abidjan, the country's commercial capital.

These forces have also targeted the headquarters of the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) at Sebroko Hotel with heavy-calibre sniper fire, as well as mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. Four peacekeepers have been wounded in these attacks.

Furthermore, forces loyal to Gbagbo have attacked UNOCI patrols dispatched to protect civilians and convoys transporting wounded in Abidjan, resulting in several more wounded peacekeepers.

Consequently, Ban instructed the 8,000-strong UNOCI to take "necessary measures" to prevent the use of heavy weapons against civilians, with the support of French forces and in line with previous Security Council resolutions. The mission undertook a military operation to this effect around 5 p.m. local time on Monday.

Ban explained that in line with its Security Council mandate, the mission has taken this action in self defense and to protect civilians.

The post-electoral crisis that began following the November presidential run-off has resulted in the deaths of at least 500 people and the displacement of up to 1 million, many of whom have fled to neighboring countries. There have also been reports of massacres and other forms of brutality and human rights violations against civilians amid the turmoil.

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