UN warns of I Coast ‘genocide’ threat
Ivory Coast: The first recognized ambassador of Ivory Coast’s
internationally-backed president Alassane Ouattara said Wednesday that
the United Nations had to act to prevent “genocide” in his country.
The envoy, Youssoufou Bamba, made the plea after handing over his
credentials as envoy to the United Nations to UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon.
Ban promised the “full cooperation” of the UN leadership for the
government of Ouattara who is in a tense standoff with Laurent Gbagbo,
who refuses to recognize the victory of his rival in Ivory Coast’s
November 28 presidential election. The ambassador said Ouattara had
“real concern” about attacks on his supporters. According to UN rights
officials at least 173 people were killed in attacks between December 16
and 21.
The victims were only killed “because they wanted to demonstrate,
they want to speak out, they want to defend the will of the people,”
Bamba told reporters. “We are on the brink of genocide, something should
be done.”
Bamba said people’s homes in some areas had been marked according to
their tribe. “What will be next? So the situation is very serious and I
have put that message across in all the meetings I have had, including
with the secretary general.”
“The protection of civilians is at the heart of peacekeeping and we
expect the United Nations to fulfill its duties,” he said.
There is a UN force of more than 9,500 troops in Ivory Coast and 800
are deployed around the Abidjan hotel where Ouattara has his base.
Ban made no comment on the Ivory Coast crisis when he formally
accepted Bamba’s credentials in front of photographers at the UN
headquarters.
But he assured the envoy “of the full cooperation of the secretariat
in meeting the challenges ahead.”
Ban was briefed again Tuesday by the UN mission in Ivory Coast on
efforts to persuade Gbagbo to peacefully stand down, his spokesman
Martin Nesirky said.
AFP |
