COTE D'IVOIRE / ELECTION WRAP

The UN ramps up its efforts to resolve the violent post-electoral crisis in Côte d'Ivoire, demanding that outgoing President Laurent Gbagbo step down in the face of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara's clear victory and intensifying its contacts with African leaders. ONUCI / UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:54
• Production Date: 17 December 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS OPERATIONS IN COTE D'IVOIRE - UNOCI
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY; POLITICAL CONDITIONS
• Geographic Subject: COTE D'IVOIRE
• MAMS Id: U101217b

Description

STORY: COTE D'IVOIRE / ELECTION WRAP
SOURCE: ONUCI/ UNTV
TRT: 2:54
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ FRENCH/ NATS

DATELINE: 16 DECEMBER 2010, ABIDJAN, COTE D’IVOIRE / 17 DECEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

ONUCI - 16 DECEMBER 2010, ABDIJAN, COTE D’IVOIRE

1. Wide shot, demonstrators on the entry of UNOCI Headquarters, injured person being carried
2. Pan right, demonstrators chanting, “Help ONUCI”.

UNTV - 17 DECEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
“As of this morning, the situation has taken a dangerous turn. Let me say clearly and directly: any attempt to blockade the Golf Hotel or otherwise obstruct UN operations is totally unacceptable. Any attack on UN forces will be an attack on the international community. I emphasize: those responsible for the loss of civilian lives will be held accountable.”

ONUCI - 16 DECEMBER 2010, ABDIJAN, COTE D’IVOIRE

4. Wide shot, protesters face UN peace-keeping force

UNTV - 17 DECEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
“The results of the election are known. There was a clear winner. Power-sharing is not an option. The efforts of Laurent Gbagbo and his supporters to retain power and flout the public will cannot be allowed to stand.”

ONUCI - 16 DECEMBER 2010, ABDIJAN, COTE D’IVOIRE

6. Pan right, injured protesters
7. Wide shot, SRSG Young J. Choi walking out of ONUCI compound to meet protestors
8. Zoom in, Choi with injured protestors
9. SOUNDUP (French) Young J. Choi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Côte d’Ivoire:
“Every body to hospital, bring everyone and stay calm.”
10. SOUNDBITE (French) Injured Protester:
"This was a peaceful march, we all are Ivorians. We wanted to go to the RTI (Radio Television Ivoirienne). Suddenly seven four-wheel-drive vehicles started throwing grenades and these grenades injured the people”.
11. Zoom in, injured protester receiving assistance
12. Wide shot, ambulance backing up
13. Wide shot, ambulance seen through chain link wire
14. Various shots, injured being carried into ambulance
15. Various shots, injured being carried into hospital
16. Pan left, injured laying on hospital beds
17. SOUNDBITE: (French): Dr. Kponou, Chief Medical:
“It is the piece of shrapnel in general on all body parts. In the case of the deceased, it is a piece of shrapnel in the neck.”
18. Zoom in, ONUCI patrol in the streets near ONUCI Headquarters.

Storyline

The United Nations (UN) ramped up its efforts to resolve the violent post-electoral crisis in Côte d’Ivoire today (17 December), demanding that outgoing President Laurent Gbagbo step down in the face of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara’s clear victory and intensifying its contacts with African leaders.

At the start of an end-of-year news conference in New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the situation had taken “a dangerous turn” with at least a dozen people killed in the divided West African country, where the UN has a 9,000-strong peacekeeping mission since 2003 in efforts to help reunification.

He stressed that “the results of the election are known”, referring to the polls, which were meant to be a culminating step in reuniting the country that was split by civil war in 2002 into a Government-controlled south and a rebel-held north.

Ban added that “there was a clear winner. There is no other option. The efforts of Laurent Gbagbo and his supporters to retain power and flout the public will cannot be allowed to stand.”

On the ground in Abidjan, Ban’s Special Representative Y. J. Choi conferred with African Union (AU) Commission Chairman Jean Ping on ways to resolve the crisis.

Outside the headquarters of the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) Choi urged injured protesters to go to the hospital to receive assistance after a protest march to the state television station RTI (Radio Television Ivoirienne) turned violent, causing up to 20 deaths.

An injured protester at the scene said that this was “a peaceful march” before “seven four-wheel-drive vehicles started throwing grenades and these grenades injured the people”.

Dr. Kponou, Chief Medical at the hospital where some of the injured were taken described the death of one of the protesters as being caused by “a piece of shrapnel in the neck.”

The AU, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU), as well as many individual countries, have all recognized Ouattara as the rightful victor of the run-off election.

The Security Council yesterday condemned “in the strongest terms” the post-electoral violence, including reported gunfire near the Golf Hotel and warned all sides that they will be held accountable and brought to justice for attacks against civilians. In a press statement the 15-member body welcomed AU and ECOWAS efforts and those of the countries in the region to assist in preserving peace and stability in Côte d’Ivoire.