AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Hidden tragedy in Ivory Coast: in the past month more than 5,000 people have been chased from their homes. Catholic village chief among those killed

Tuesday, 14 December 2004

Abidjan (Fides Service)- “Such violence against civilians has never been seen in two years of crisis. Rebels are breaking into homes, smashing doors, injuring helpless people, robbing everything” a local source in Bahiakro northern Ivory Coast told Fides. “Bahiakro is in the zone which separates the army and New Forces rebels, a zone monitored by UN Peace keepers” the source told Fides. “Unfortunately a month ago rebels reached this zone and no one stopped them. They immediately attacked civilians, at first in their homes and then in makeshift shelters in camps. Days ago they killed Hubertson, a Catholic village chief” the source told Fides.
“In the zone there are about 5,000 displaced persons who have lost everything even their clothes because everything was stolen by the rebels. The Church in collaboration with the local authorities has started a programme to assist the homeless sheltering in makeshift camps. Many of them are women and children. Vaccination en masse and distribution of food, medicine and clothing has started” the source told Fides.
At the political level yesterday 13 December, Ivory Coast’s parliament began to discuss amendments to the laws on nationality and naturalisation as foreseen by peace agreements signed in France in January 2003 to end a civil war which split the country in half. Discussion was soon suspended at the request of Justice Minister Henriette Diabaté who stated that the texts being examined were not those presented by her ministry.
The texts presented to Parliament were approved on 3 November during a special Cabinet meeting attended by only 14 of the 40 ministers of the national reconciliation government.
Hon. Diabaté was not present at the cabinet meeting and neither were other Opposition ministers and the Prime Minister due to disagreement on the application of reforms included in the peace agreement.
The position taken by the Minister of Justice sparked fierce debate in Parliament reproducing the divisions present among supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo and supporters of the Opposition and the New Force rebels which control northern Ivory Coast.
In the meantime representatives of the New Forces rebel group meeting in Bouaké, the most important town in their hands, said it will shortly send its representatives to South Africa to present South African president Thabo Mbeki with a document to re-launch the peace process. President Mbeki was asked by the African Union to mediate the crisis in Ivory Coast. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/12/2004 righe 50 parole 496)


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