27/1/2006
400 UN Ivory Coast Staff Evacuated After Riots

Following attacks last week on the United Nations offices in Côte d’Ivoire, about 400 staff members so far have been evacuated temporarily to Gambia and Senegal, the chief of the UN mission there said. There are about 1,200 civilians in the peacekeeping mission together with some 800 staff belonging to the humanitarian agencies. The attacks on the UN have taken place in Abidjan, in the west and other places in government-controlled areas. UN offices in Abidjan were subject to a four-day siege while in the west of the country the humanitarian agencies were chased out and their offices and warehouses looted and destroyed

In a separate development, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1652 on Tuesday, January 24, jointly presented by all the Council members.

The resolution extends the mandates of the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and the French forces backing UNOCI until December 15, 2006, i.e. well after the date of the presidential elections in Côte d’Ivoire due to be held on October 30.

The Security Council reaffirms its support for the International Working Group (IWG) and recalls that it endorsed the IWG’s communiqué of January 15 in its presidential statement of January 19.

With regard to UNOCI personnel, it says troop levels will be re-reviewed in mid-March in light of changes in troop strength in UNMIL in Liberia and progress made in the Ivorian peace process. . Last month, the UN Secretary-General recommended the Council authorise an additional 3,400 soldiers or four battalions plus an additional 475 police personnel to be added to the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) troop strength.

The adoption of this resolution shows one again the unanimity of the international community in the face of the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire.