Press conference by Côte d’Ivoire

 

Reacting to the announcement on “Radio France Internationale” that France had introduced a draft resolution in the Security Council with a view to “toughening” the arms embargo imposed on his country, Cote d’Ivoire’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Philippe Djangone-Bi, said his country could not remain indifferent.

Briefing correspondents at United Nations Headquarters, he said that, since the beginning of the mediation on behalf of the African Union by President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa in November 2004, substantial progress had been made, including the adoption by the National Assembly of the reforms envisaged by the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement and joint patrols of Operation des Nations Unies dans Côte d’Ivoire (ONUCI) and the country’s national armed forces (FANCI).  The introduction of a draft resolution now could obstruct that mediation.

Mr. Djangone-Bi said the rebels had not started the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process –- the only essential commitment they had made under the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement -– and continued to occupy a very important part of the country, plundering its national resources.  That non-compliance had not provoked any vigorous reaction of the international community.  Despite the fact that disarmament should have started on 15 January, according to President Mbeki’s road map that had been endorsed by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, the rebels still put forth new conditions before engaging in the DDR process.  He stressed that, without disarmament, a referendum and the presidential elections of October could not be organized.

He also said that the Security Council should integrate the French force in his country into ONUCI.  The sooner unified command and action was achieved, the sooner ONUCI would succeed in its actions.  As unified command was applied in most peacekeeping operations, he asked why Côte d’Ivoire should be an exception.  His country was, moreover, still waiting for a response to its request for an international commission of inquiry into the events of November 2004 [when France destroyed the country’s air force], during which French forces allegedly committed serious human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law.  The practice of France initiating actions in the Council concerning Côte d’Ivoire should also end.

Answering correspondents’ questions about the draft resolution, he said he had heard about it on the official radio of France, the RFI, after which he had obtained a copy.  As it was a matter of the Security Council, and his country was not a member of that body, he could not give details of its contents.  However, the draft did exist and included measures to toughen the arms embargo against his country, and even introduced elements of sanctions.  He didn’t know what sanctions were being called for, but the African Union’s Peace and Security Council had requested that “sanctions” be delayed to allow President Mbeki to conduct his fruitful mission.  To speak of sanctions now was a way of seriously impeding the mediation process.  However, the Council wanted to make them immediate.

Asked how fruitful President Mbeki’s efforts were as the peace process seemed to be at an impasse, Mr. Djangone-Bi replied that the impasse was the fault not of the Government, which was implementing the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement, but of the rebels.  The road map was clear:  the introduction of reforms, which were being implemented; the beginning of disarmament; the return of the rebels to the Government, which they were still boycotting; and security, which was going to be provided by the joint UNOCI/FANCI patrols.  Nobody was putting pressure on the rebels, but without disarmament, there could be no elections.

He added that one of the results of Mr. Mbeki’s mediation was the endorsement by the Peace and Security Council of a referendum on a Constitutional amendment regarding the conditions of eligibility, which had to precede the October presidential elections.

Gold, diamonds, some cacao and custom duties were being exploited by illegally armed people, most of whom -- some 70 per cent -- were not even Ivorians, he said in response to another question.  He did not know how much had been smuggled out of the country or where it had gone.  However, the country was being looted while the international community remained silent.

In conclusion, he said his country did not want another Council resolution on the crisis.  Moreover, his country demanded that France be discharged from its duty of presenting resolutions and statements by the Council on matters concerning Côte d’Ivoire.  It further demanded that the forces of France be integrated with ONUCI, and that a commission of inquiry be established to look into serious violations of human rights.  Investigations of human rights violations should be conducted in a fair manner with no double standards.

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