Security Council calls on warring parties in Côte d'Ivoire to negotiate peace

Reacting to the volatile situation in Côte d'Ivoire, the United Nations Security Council today called on the warring parties to resolve their differences through talks aimed at achieving a negotiated political solution.

"Such a solution must address the underlying causes of the conflict," Council President Ambassador Alfonso Valdivieso of Colombia said in a statement at a formal meeting.

The statement condemned all attempts to overthrow the elected Government of Côte d'Ivoire and called on the parties to abstain from any act or declaration that could jeopardize efforts to achieve a political solution.

Welcoming the commitment by the country's President to submit a plan to end the crisis in the coming days, the Council said this would be a "crucial step" and called for the involvement of all parties in the process.

Calling on all countries in the region to refrain from interfering in the situation, the Council threw its backing behind efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to promote a peaceful resolution. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was requested to continue his efforts to promote a negotiated settlement in coordination with ECOWAS.

The Council also voiced its full support for the deployment of a regional force to Côte d'Ivoire by the end of this year. Pending that, the Council commended the efforts of France to prevent further fighting, and voiced appreciation for the country's contribution to a political solution to the crisis.

Expressing its "deepest concern" at reports of mass killings and serious human rights violations in Côte d'Ivoire, the Council called on all parties to ensure respect for humanitarian law, and welcomed the decision by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to dispatch a fact-finding mission to the country.

"The Security Council also expresses its concern at the humanitarian consequences of the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire," the President said, calling on the international community to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to those in need throughout the region. "It also calls on all parties to provide unhindered access to affected populations," he added.