Security Council

5118^th Meeting (PM)

Security Council strengthens arms embargo on Côte d’Ivoire,

 

unanimously adopting resolution 1584 (2005)

 

Determining that the situation in Côte d’Ivoire continued to pose a threat to international peace and security in the West African region, the United Nations Security Council today reinforced its two-month-old weapons ban on the divided country, adopting a range of measures aimed at ensuring an effective embargo and better means of arms surveillance and control.

Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 1584 (2005) authorizing the world body’s Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and the French forces supporting it to monitor the application of its 15 November decision, which had imposed an immediate arms embargo requiring all countries to prevent the "direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer" to Côte d'Ivoire of arms or any related materiel.

The new text authorized UNOCI and French forces to cooperate with regional governments and the United Nations peacekeeping missions in Liberia and Sierra Leone to keep arms flows in check with unannounced inspections of all plane cargo holds and transportation vehicles at seaports, airports, airfields, military bases and border crossings of Côte d’Ivoire.  It also demanded that all Ivorian parties, including the Government and the Forces nouvelles, provide unhindered access to those sites.

In a related provision, the resolution requested the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Security Council Committee -- mandated under the November text to designate individuals and entities subjected to the sanctions and set out guidelines to facilitate implementation of those measures -– to set up, within the next 30 days, a three-member expert panel to undertake a number of tasks, including:  examine information gathered by UNOCI and the French forces on their surveillance activities; gather and analyse all relevant information in Côte d’Ivoire and countries in the region on arms flows; and consider and recommend ways of improving the capabilities of States in the region to implement the embargo.

The Council also gave the Ivorian Government and the Forces nouvelles, specifically their armed forces, 45 days to cooperate with UNOCI in compiling a comprehensive list of armaments in the possession of those armed forces and paramilitary troops and militia associated with them, as well as their location, in particular aircraft and their armament of any kind, missiles, explosive devices, artillery of any calibre, and armoured and non-armoured vehicles, in order to facilitate the mission’s work, and to assist in the undertaking of regrouping all Ivorian forces involved in implementing the national programme for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.

The January 2003 Linas-Marcoussis accord halted fighting between the Government of President Laurent Gbagbo and rebels controlling most of northern Côte d’Ivoire, and created a Government of National Reconciliation.  A ceasefire between the Government and the Forces nouvelles took effect on 3 May 2003.  A third pact, reached on 30 July 2004 in the Ghanaian capital and known as the Accra III Agreement, focused on those parts of Linas-Marcoussis that remained in dispute.

Côte d’Ivoire was again beset by violence this past November, when the Government ended the ceasefire by launching an air attack in the Zone of Confidence (ZOC) separating the combatants.  Government aircraft bombed French peacekeeping positions in the area, killing nine people and leading the French to destroy the country’s air force on the tarmac.  Supporters of President Gbagbo then took to the streets of Abidjan in retaliation, harassing and intimidating foreigners.

Today, the Council once again deplored the repeated violations of the peace agreements, expressed grave concern at the use of mercenaries by both Ivorian parties and urged both sides to halt that practice immediately.  It strongly recalled the obligations of the Ivorian parties to comply with the 3 May accord, to refrain from any violence, particularly against civilians, including foreign citizens.

The meeting began at 4:14 p.m. and adjourned at 4:18 p.m.

Council Resolution

Following is the full text of resolution 1584 (2005):

“The Security Council,

“Recalling its resolutions 1572 (2004) of 15 November 2004 and 1528 (2004) of 27 February 2004, as well as the relevant statements of its President in particular those of 16 December 2004 (S/PRST/2004/48), of 6 November 2004 (S/PRST/2004/42) and of 5 August 2004 (S/PRST/2004/29),

“Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of Côte d’Ivoire, and recalling the importance of the principles of good neighbourliness, non-interference and regional cooperation,

“Recalling that it endorsed the agreement signed by the Ivorian political forces in Linas-Marcoussis on 24 January 2003 (S/2003/99) (the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement) approved by the Conference of Heads of States on Côte d’Ivoire, held in Paris on 25 and 26 January 2003, and the Agreement signed in Accra on 30 July 2004 (the Accra III Agreement),

“Deploring once again the repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement of 3 May 2003,

“Recalling strongly the obligations of all Ivorian parties, the Government of Côte d’Ivoire as well as the Forces nouvelles, to comply fully with the ceasefire agreement of 3 May 2003, to refrain from any violence, in particular against civilians including foreign citizens, and to cooperate fully with the activities of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI),

“Welcoming the efforts of the Secretary-General, the African Union and the Economic Community of Western African States towards re-establishing peace and stability in Côte d’Ivoire, and reaffirming in this regard its full support to the ongoing facilitation mission undertaken by President Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa, on behalf of the African Union,

“Welcoming also the decision of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union on Côte d’Ivoire taken on 10 January 2005 in Libreville, Gabon, and noting its communiqué issued on that occasion,

“Determining that the situation in Côte d’Ivoire continues to pose a threat to international peace and security in the region,

“Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

“1.   Reaffirms its decision in paragraph 7 of resolution 1572 of 15 November 2004 that all States, particularly those bordering Côte d’Ivoire, take the necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer to Côte d’Ivoire of arms or any related materiel as well as the provision of any assistance, advice or training related to military activities;

“2.   Authorizes UNOCI and the French forces which support it, within their capacity and without prejudice to their mandate set out in resolution 1528 (2004) and paragraph 3 below:

(a)   To monitor the implementation of the measures imposed by paragraph 7 of resolution 1572 (2004), in cooperation with the group of experts referred to in paragraph 7 below, and, as appropriate, with the United Nations Mission in Liberia, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone and Governments concerned, including by inspecting, as they deem it necessary and as appropriate without notice, the cargo of aircraft and of any transport vehicle using the ports, airports, airfields, military bases and border crossings of Côte d’Ivoire;

(b)   To collect, as appropriate, arms and any related materiel brought into Côte d’Ivoire in violation of the measures imposed by paragraph 7 of resolution 1572 (2004), and to dispose of such arms and related materiel as appropriate;

“3.   Requests the French forces which support UNOCI, in addition to their mandate set out in resolution 1528 (2004), to provide, as appropriate, security assistance to UNOCI in carrying out the tasks set out in paragraph 2 above;

“4.   Acknowledges that the appropriate civilian expertise within UNOCI is needed to fulfil the tasks set out in paragraph 2 above, to the extent that no additional resources are required;

“5.   Demands that all Ivorian parties, including the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and the Forces nouvelles, provide unhindered access, particularly to equipment, sites and installations referred to in paragraph 2 above, to UNOCI and French forces which support it to enable them to carry out the tasks set out in paragraphs 2 and 3 above;

“6.   Requests the Secretary-General and the French Government immediately to report to the Security Council, through the Security Council Committee established by paragraph 14 of resolution 1572 (2004) (the Committee), any hindrance or difficulty in implementing the tasks described in paragraph 2 (b) above, so that the Security Council can consider all appropriate measures against any individual or group that hinders the implementation of these tasks;

“7.   Requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Committee, to create, as referred to in paragraph 17 of resolution 1572 (2004), within thirty days from the date of adoption of this resolution, and for a period of six months, a group of experts consisting of no more than three members (the Group of Experts), having the necessary skills to perform the following mandate:

(a)   To examine and analyse information gathered by UNOCI and the French forces in the context of the monitoring mandate set out in paragraph 2 above;

(b)   To gather and analyse all relevant information in Côte d’Ivoire, countries of the region and, as necessary, in other countries, in cooperation with the governments of those countries, on flows of arms and related materiel, and provision of assistance, advice or training related to military activities as well as networks operating in violation of the measures imposed by paragraph 7 of resolution 1572 (2004);

(c)   To consider and recommend, where appropriate, ways of improving the capabilities of States, in particular those in the region, to ensure the effective implementation of the measures imposed by paragraph 7 of resolution 1572 (2004);

(d)   To report to the Security Council in writing within 90 days from its establishment, through the Committee, on the implementation of the measures imposed by paragraph 7 of resolution 1572 (2004), with recommendations in this regard;

(e)   To keep the Committee regularly updated on its activities;

(f)   To exchange with UNOCI and the French forces, as appropriate, information that might be of use in fulfilling its monitoring mandate set out in paragraph 2 above;

(g)   To provide the Committee in its reports with a list, with supporting evidence, of those found to have violated the measures imposed by paragraph 7 of resolution 1572 (2004), and those found to have supported them in such activities, for possible future measures by the Council;

(h)   To cooperate with other relevant groups of experts, in particular that established on Liberia by resolutions 1521 of 22 December 2003 and 1579 of 21 December 2004;

“8.   Calls upon the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and the Forces nouvelles, specifically their armed forces, to cooperate with UNOCI in establishing, within 45 days from the date of adoption of this resolution, a comprehensive list of armaments in the possession of these armed forces and in possession of paramilitary troops and militias associated with them, as well as their location, in particular aircraft and their armament of any kind, missiles, explosive devices, artillery of any calibre, including anti-aircraft artillery, and armoured and non-armoured vehicles, in order to help UNOCI to fulfil the tasks set out in paragraph 2 above and to assist in undertaking the regrouping of all the Ivorian forces involved and in implementing the national programme for the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of combatants in accordance with resolution 1528 (2004);

“9.   Requests the Secretary-General to communicate as appropriate to the Security Council, through the Committee, information gathered by UNOCI and, when possible, reviewed by the Group of Experts, about the supply of arms and related materiel to Côte d’Ivoire;

“10.  Requests also the French Government to communicate as appropriate to the Security Council, through the Committee, information gathered by the French forces and, when possible, reviewed by the Group of Experts, about the supply of arms and related materiel to Côte d’Ivoire;

“11.  Urges all States, relevant United Nations bodies and, as appropriate, other organizations and interested parties, to cooperate fully with the Committee, the Group of Experts, UNOCI and the French forces, in particular by supplying any information at their disposal on possible violations of the measures imposed by paragraph 7 of resolution 1572 (2004);

“12.  Expresses its grave concern at the use of mercenaries by both Ivorian parties, and urges both sides immediately to desist from this practice;

“13.  Recalls its request set out in paragraph 15 of resolution 1572 (2004) to all States, in particular those in the region, to report to the Committee on steps they have taken to implement the measures imposed by paragraph 7 of resolution 1572 (2004);

“14.  Expresses its intention to consider the recommendations of the Secretary-General contained in his report dated 9 December 2004 (S/2004/962), including its addendum (S/2004/962/Add.1);

“15.  Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.”

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