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UN / COTE D’IVOIRE WRAP
STORY: UN / COTE D’IVOIRE WRAP
TRT: 2.02
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
DATELINE: 19 JANUARY 2011, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN building
19 JANUARY 2011, NEW YORK CITY
2. Various shots, Security Council vote
3. Wide shot, press conference dais
4. Med shot, reporter
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Francis Deng, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide:
“We remain gravely concerned about the possibility of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Côte d’Ivoire. We believe that urgent steps should be taken in line with the responsibility to protect to avert the risk of genocide and insure the protection of all those at risk of mass atrocities.”
6. Med shot, over the shoulder view of the dais
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Edward Luck, Special Advisor on the Responsibility to Protect:
“Over 23,500 Ivorians have fled to neighbouring countries, and we understand that figure now is over 28,000, and 16,000 others are internally displaced as a result of these ethnic clashes. There is a real risk that such clashes could spread across the country. If not checked, they could culminate in mass atrocities. We urge all parties in Côte d’Ivoire to refrain from inflammatory speech that incites hatred and violence. Those responsible for committing atrocities or their incitement will be held accountable.”
8. Wide shot, dais
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Francis Deng, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide:
“Our experience with Rwanda has clearly sharpened the readiness of the international community to act. What happened in Kenya was a very good demonstration of the collective will of the international community to prevent the situation from escalating to genocide and that. What we see now happening also in Côte d’Ivoire, shows I think, a collective will of the international community, including regional and sub-regional organisations to stop what is happening from escalating to dangerous levels.”
10. Wide shot, dais
The United Nations (UN) Security Council today (19 January) authorized the immediate reinforcement of its nearly 9,000-strong peacekeeping mission in Côte d’Ivoire with an additional 2,000 peacekeepers and three armed helicopters to help protect civilians in the post-electoral deadlock gripping the country.
In a unanimous resolution adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which allows for the use of force, the Security Council also voiced deep concern at the continued violence against civilians and UN peacekeepers in the West African nation.
At a later press conference UN Special Advisor on Genocide Francis Deng and Edward Luck Special Advisor on the Responsibility to Protect, voiced alarm about the mounting ethnic violence.
Deng expressed grave concern about “the possibility of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing”.
He said that “urgent steps should be taken in line with the responsibility to protect to avert the risk of genocide and insure the protection of all those at risk of mass atrocities.”
Cote d’Ivoire has been subjected to political unrest since late last year when its former president, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to step down despite the internationally recognized victory of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara in run-off elections held in November.
Luck told reporters that up to 28,000 Ivorians have fled to neighbouring countries, and 16,000 others are internally displaced “as a result of these ethnic clashes” with a risk that they “could spread across the country.”
He warned that “if not checked, they could culminate in mass atrocities” and urged all parties “to refrain from inflammatory speech that incites hatred and violence.”
Luck noted that “those responsible for committing atrocities or their incitement will be held accountable.”
Deng pointed out that the experience of Rwanda “has clearly sharpened the readiness of the international community to act” and noted that the incidents in Kenya in 2007 were “a very good demonstration of the collective will of the international community to prevent the situation from escalating to genocide.”
He said that the current situation in Côte d’Ivoire shows “a collective will of the international community, including regional and sub-regional organisations to stop what is happening from escalating to dangerous levels.”
The Security Council authorized the additional troop deployment until 30 June as well as the temporary transfer to UN Mission in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) for four weeks of three armed helicopters from the UN peacekeeping mission in neighbouring Liberia and said that those responsible for crimes against UN personnel and civilians must be held accountable.
It also called for an end to the blockade imposed by Gbagbo forces around the Golf Hotel, in Abidjan, where Ouattara and members of his government are currently based under UN protection.
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