22 May 2012

COTE D’IVOIRE / SECURITY COUNCIL MALI

The Security Council delegation visiting West Africa met with ECOWAS officials in Abidjan today. French Ambassador Gerard Araud noted that in view of the attack on Mali’s interim President the situation was “getting worse” and that it was “urgent that we try to see what we can do to solve this crisis”. Yesterday, the delegation met with the President of Cote d’Ivoire and other officials. ONUCI

Posted at: May 22, 2012 6:13 pm

Duration: 02:58

Available in: SD

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STORY: COTE D'IVOIRE / SECURITY COUNCIL VISIT
TRT: 2.58
SOURCE: UNOCI
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 21 MAY 2012, ABIDJAN, COTE D'IVOIRE

SHOTLIST:

1. Pan right, assembly
2. Med shot, Security Council members
3. Various shots, ECOWAS members
4. Wide shot, press conference
5. Med shot, some members of ECOWAS and the SRSG of UNOCI
6. SOUNDBITE (French) Ambassador Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations and head of delegation:
"The interviews were particularly more exciting, as the situation in Mali is getting worse with an attack depends on the president of the transitional Authority, so it was urgent that we try to see what we can do to solve this crisis in Mali, in Bamako, and then also, in northern Mali. I think we will go my colleagues and me to. New York, first with the firm conviction that we should support ECOWAS and ECOWAS have to solve this problem." 
7. Pan left, arrival of the Security Council delegation at presidential palace 
8. Wide shot, meeting room
9. Med shot, President Allasan Oattara greeting delegation members
10. Wide shot, meeting
11. SOUNDBITE (French) Ambassador Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations and head of delegation:
"We are here to ask the Ivorian authorities what they expect from us for months and years ahead, because we are entering a transition period where the United Nations presence will gradually have to change shape, from a presence of an essentially military to a presence in areas such as security, justice, development."
12. Med shot, President Ouattara
13. Various shots, Security Council members
14. Wide shot, President Ouattara and Security Council delegation group photo
15. Zoom out, exterior National Assembly
16. Wide shot, National Assembly meeting
17. Various shots, Ivorian deputies and Security Council members
18. Wide shot, National Assembly president speaking
19. Med shot, Charles Konan Banny, Chairman of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, greeting delegation members 
20. Various shots, meeting with Charles Konan Banny
21. SOUNDBITE (French) Charles Konan Banny, Chairman of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission: 
"I request my friends who have so much invested, so multiform, during the crisis period, that these efforts be renewed to allow us to consolidate the peace that comes through reconciliation."
22. Wide shot, group photo with Charles Konan Banny
 
 
STORYLINE :

On its trip to West Africa, the Security Council delegation yesterday afternoon (21 May) held a meeting in Abidjan with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), at which they discussed Mali and Guinea-Bissau.

French Ambassador Gérard Araud, who is leading the delegation, said that the talks were "exciting" as the situation in Mali was getting worse after yesterday's attack on Mali's interim President. He said it was "urgent that we try to see what we can do to solve this crisis in Mali", and that he was returning to New York "with the firm conviction that we should support ECOWAS" in solving this problem.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today strongly condemned the attack against President Dioncounda Traoré, which reportedly left the leader with head injuries. According to media reports, Traoré was beaten up yesterday by protesters who occupied the presidential palace for several hours during a street demonstration in the capital, Bamako. The protest was reportedly called by local politicians who wanted a return to power of the leaders of a military coup in March.

Earlier in the day, the Security Council delegation met with Côte d'Ivoire's President, Prime Minister, President of the National Assembly and Chairman of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission as well as representatives of other state institutions, civil society, political parties, the population and the United Nations.

Ambassador Araud said the issues raised by the members of the Security Council with the Prime Minister and Ministers to the President were justice and national reconciliation, security sector reform, meaning "the creation of an democratic army, police, gendarmerie, under the command of democratic authorities, but also the demobilization of all militias who carried weapons".

Araud went on to say the delegation was in the country to "ask the Ivorian authorities what they expect from us for months and years ahead, because we are entering a transition period where the United Nations presence will gradually have to change shape, from a presence of an essentially military to a presence in areas such as security, justice, development."

The Chairman of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Charles Konan Banny told reporters after his meeting with the delegation that he had asked the Security Council to renew efforts to consolidate peace through reconciliation.
 
Côte d'Ivoire is the second leg of a visit by the Security Council to three West African countries that began in Liberia. It is expected in Sierra Leone, the final leg of its visit to the region, on the morning of Wednesday 23 May.