AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Supporters of the President and Opposition interpret differently UN position with regard crimes committed in Ivory Coast

Saturday, 15 May 2004

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Abidjan (Fides Service)- Ever more heated the media dispute between supporters of Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and the Opposition with regard to a United Nations report on events last March 25 when an Opposition demonstration was repressed by the police, since the request made yesterday by the UN Security Council that those responsible for the violence in Ivory Coast should be punished. The Security Council is considering forming a Commission of inquiry into acts of violence in Ivory Coast. According to Fides sources in Abidjan, the position taken by the UN Security Council with regard to who was responsible for violence in Ivory Coast “is seen differently by the Presidents’ supporters and the Opposition. For the former the UN has accepted the request to investigate crimes committed by rebels in the north west. For the Opposition the UN has confirmed the accusations launched in the UN report on events on March 25 ”. The UN report was diffused by Radio France International before it was officially made public and it caused unrest in Ivory Coast which has still not been placated.
Two days ago the powerful students union organised a demonstration in front of the Untied Nations headquarters in Ivory Coast to protest the report which the students say was “partial”, considering only the March 25 episode instead of including events since the civil war started in September 2002. The students called on the UN to disarm the rebels have control of north-west Ivory Coast since 2002. According to Fides sources supporters of President Gbagbo, especially the pro-presidential militia group Patriots’ and women members of the President’s Party, are planning demonstrations in the next few days.
“This is only the beginning of the argument over responsibility for crimes committed in Ivory Coast ” Fides sources report. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 15/5/2004 righe 30 parole 361)