17 Jan 2013

UN / CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Despite "remarkable progress" in recovering from multiple crises, international support to consolidate stability in Côte d'Ivoire is ever more important given the volatile security situation in its region, the top United Nations official in the West African country said today (17 January). UNTV

Posted at: January 17, 2013 5:57 pm

Duration: 01:55

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / CÔTE D'IVOIRE
TRT: 1.55
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 17 JANUARY 2013, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1.	Wide shot, exterior UN building

2.	17 JANUARY 2013, NEW YORK CITY

3.	Wide shot, Security Council 
4.	Med shot, delegates
5.	SOUNDBITE (English) Bert Koenders, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire:
"While Côte d'Ivoire has registered remarkable progress in several fronts, I think, significant challenges remain to be addressed in 2013. The root causes of instability and potential triggers of violence still need to be tackled, including some of the issues I mentioned related to governance, justice and human rights, as well as land tenure and identity. As members of this Council are aware, between August and October 2012 there was a spate of attacks targeting national security forces in and around Abidjan and along the borders with Ghana and Liberia with the aim of destabilizing President Ouattara's Government."
6.	Med shot, delegates
7.	SOUNDBITE (English) Bert Koenders, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire:
"2013 will be a critical year for Côte d'Ivoire and for UNOCI which will require, hopefully, the strong and sustained support by your Council. In the context of a volatile regional security situation, the stability and economic success of Côte d'Ivoire is more than ever important for the stability of West Africa."
8.	Med shot, delegates
9.	SOUNDBITE (French) Youssoufou Bamba, Permanent Representative of Côte d'Ivoire to the United Nations:
"Recent events have shown that the offensive conducted last week by terrorist groups towards the south of Mali constitute a direct, genuine and immediate threat to peace and security of both the region and internationally; and above all poses a major threat to all Mali's neighbours, including Côte d'Ivoire. Côte d'Ivoire, which is currently Chair of ECOWAS, welcomes the rapid reaction of France following the request for assistance from the authorities of Mali, with the view of stabilizing the military situation in Mali and preserving the country's territorial integrity."
10.	Med shot, delegates
11.	Wide shot, Security Council

STORYLINE:

the Secretary-General's Special Representative for the West African country, Bert Koenders, told a Security Council meeting on the matter that the country still faces "significant challenges,"  including tackling the root causes of instability and potential triggers of violence and issues related to "governance, justice and human rights, as well as land tenure and identity."

Koenders reminded the Council that between August and October 2012 "there was a spate of attacks targeting national security forces in and around Abidjan and along the borders with Ghana and Liberia with the aim of destabilizing President Ouattara's Government."

The Special Representative said 2013 "will be a critical year for Côte d'Ivoire" and for the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) which will require "the strong and sustained support" by the Security Council.

"In the context of a volatile regional security situation," he added, "the stability and economic success of Côte d'Ivoire is more than ever important to the stability of West Africa.

Koenders noted that UNOCI had recently increased preparedness on the country's northern border with Mali, which has been dealing with the impact of the loss of control over much of its north, following the activities of radical Islamists there.

Ivorian Ambassador Youssoufou Bamba, in his address to the Council, said the recent events in Mali "constitute a direct, genuine and immediate threat to peace and security of both the region and internationally; and above all poses a major threat to all Mali's neighbours, including Côte d'Ivoire."

He said Côte d'Ivoire, which currently chairs the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), "welcomes the rapid reaction of France following the request for assistance from the authorities of Mali, with the view of stabilizing the military situation in Mali and preserving the country's territorial integrity."

UNOCI has been supporting the reunification and stabilization of the Côte d'Ivoire, split by civil war in 2002. A 2010 presidential election, meant to be a culminating point in the peace process, resulted in months of violence when former President Laurent Gbagbo refusal to step down after losing to Alassane Ouattara, who finally took office in May 2011.

Last year saw a resurgence of violence over several months, with a spate of attacks targeting national security forces in and around Abidjan and along the borders with Ghana and Liberia, which had the aim of destabilizing President Ouattara's Government.