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UN / COTE D’IVOIRE
STORY: UN / COTE D’IVOIRE
TRT: 1.45
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
DATELINE: 27 MAY 2010, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN building
27 MAY 2010, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Y. J. Choi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire:
“The reason for the impasse is that the three major protagonists of the Ivorian crisis are now dealing with their core interest: the presidential camp wants reunification before elections; the opposition wants elections before reunification; and the Forces Nouvelles wants identification before reunification.”
5. Med shot, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Y. J. Choi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire:
“This political stalemate is hardly encouraging. Indeed, during the eight years since the outbreak of the crisis, perennial delays in implementing the various peace agreements have been a source of deep frustration for the Ivorian people as well as the international community. It is all the more so since the elections appeared to be within our grasp until several months ago.”
7. Zoom in, Ivorian ambassador
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Y. J. Choi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire:
“Amid this complex and delicate situation, and after much reflection, it is recommended, as indicated in the twenty-fourth report of the Secretary General on the United Nations Operations on Côte d’Ivoire before you, that UNOCI maintains its current total overall strength of its military and police components, until the end of 2010. Should this recommendation meet with the approval of the Security Council, the Secretariat would conduct a review of the Ivorian peace process and submit further recommendations on the future of UNOCI before the end of the year.”
9. Wide shot, Security Council
The ongoing political impasse in Côte d'Ivoire contributes to heightened tensions and hampers efforts to normalize the situation in the West African nation, which has been trying for eight years to overcome the crisis that split the country, a senior United Nations official said today (3 June).
Y. J. Choi, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire, told the Security Council that the reason for the impasse is that “the three major protagonists of the Ivorian crisis are now dealing with their core interest.”
Political tensions began to mount after voter registration was suspended due to violence and President Laurent Gbagbo dissolved the Government and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in February.
Despite the establishment of a new Government and Electoral Commission since then, the electoral process remains stalled as the differences on how to address the issue of fraud and resume the interrupted appeals process on the provisional voters list persists.
Choi said that “the presidential camp wants reunification before elections; the opposition wants elections before reunification; and the Forces Nouvelles wants identification before reunification.”
As agreed by the parties in 2008, a de facto reunification is to be completed two months prior to the presidential election.
The Special Representative stated that the current political stalemate was “hardly encouraging” adding that during the eight years since the outbreak of the crisis, perennial delays in implementing the various peace agreements have been “a source of deep frustration for the Ivorian people as well as the international community.”
Côte d’Ivoire, which became split by civil war in 2002 into a rebel-held north and Government-controlled south, was making progress toward the holding of elections – which were supposed to have been held as far back as 2005 but have been repeatedly postponed.
The country witnessed the publication of the provisional electoral list throughout the country, the launch of the appeals process, and the validation of all major candidates for the presidential election.
The political impasse began in early January after the production of the second electoral list.
Choi told the Council that “amid this complex and delicate situation” it is recommended that the United Nations Operations on Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) maintains its current total overall strength of its military and police components, until the end of 2010.
He said that “should this recommendation meet with the approval of the Security Council” the Secretariat would conduct a review of the Ivorian peace process and submit further recommendations on the future of UNOCI before the end of the year.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his report, noted that the lack of progress in resolving the impasse has led some to start questioning the relevance of the framework of the Ouagadougou Peace Agreements, the 2007 blueprint for political reconciliation forged in the capital of neighbouring Burkina Faso.
He warned that any unravelling of the Ouagadougou framework would be a cause for serious concern, noting that there is currently no alternative framework to these agreements.
Last week the Council extended UNOCI’s mandate until 30 June, as it continues to consider possible revisions.
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