10 November – The peace process in Côte d'Ivoire has encountered serious difficulties in the last three months and the fundamental differences between government and opposition must be urgently addressed if it is to remain on track, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in his latest report on the United Nations mission there.
Calling for a six-month extension of the UN Mission (MINUCI), which seeks to build confidence between the government's Forces Armees de Côte d'Ivoire (FANCI) and the opposition Forces Nouvelles, Mr. Annan says he is concerned that nine months after a peace agreement was signed in Linas-Marcoussis, France, some key provisions have yet to be implemented.
"Until they are, the peace process is likely to remain tenuous," he reports, noting that key issues behind the current stalemate include differences over the interpretation of the power-sharing concept envisaged in the Linas-Marcoussis accord, and the failure of the Government of National Reconciliation to begin restructuring the defence and security forces immediately on taking office, as required by the agreement.
Mr. Annan notes that President Laurent Gbagbo's appointment of defence and internal security ministers in September was expected to complete the composition of the new government and remove a key obstacle to the peace process. It was made in a way generally viewed as consistent with the accord, he adds, but "unfortunately the Forces Nouvelles have rejected the appointments and pulled out of the government, leaving it effectively unable to implement the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement."
He urges the Ivorian leaders to cooperate with the efforts of President John Kufuor of Ghana and other leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which maintains a peacekeeping force in the country, to convene a meeting between President Gbagbo and the signatories of the Linas-Marcoussis accord focused on reaching agreement on the fundamental issues.
He notes that although the ceasefire continues to hold between FANCI and Forces Nouvelles "there is a serious danger of a possible degradation in the fragile security situation" if the current stalemate persists for too long. There has already been an upsurge in violence by "uncontrolled" armed elements in northern provinces controlled by Forces Nouvelles, he adds.
The humanitarian situation likewise remains worrisome in both government and opposition-controlled areas, Mr. Annan writes, with hundreds of thousands of people lacking access to basic health care and other public services, and tens of thousands of children facing a second consecutive year without schools.
There are currently 34 UN military liaison officers in the country to monitor security and help build confidence and Mr. Annan says he has approved the deployment of the remaining 42 officers in accordance with Security Council resolution 1479, which established MINUCI. The Mission's civilian component is focusing on the human rights situation and the media as well as on preparing for the elections to be held in 2005.
Mr. Annan proposes a $29.9 million budget for the mission from 13 May 2003 to 30 June 2004.
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