Côte d'Ivoire: UN mission begins joint patrols in west, near cite of massacres

With the situation in western Côte d'Ivoire remaining volatile, the United Nations peacekeeping mission today began joint patrols with local forces in and around the major cocoa marketing town of Duékoué, where brutal attacks by unidentified armed elements have left scores dead and wounded.

The members of the national Defence and Security Forces (FDS) who were on duty last week when the events occurred were removed and replaced with troops offering tighter security and who were stationed at locations that had been neglected, the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) said.

A special weeklong operation in the area involving UNOCI and French Licorne peacekeeping forces, and covering an area that includes the Zone of Confidence between Government troops and rebel fighters that divides the country, should have ended today. It was extended until 13 June, it said.

UNOCI said last week that unidentified machete-wielding attackers killed or wounded more than 100 people in and around the market town, dealing a blow to the reconciliation attempts of the past month.

After a visit to Duékoué, nearby Guitrozon village and UN camps for internally displaced people (IDPs), UNOCI chief Pierre Schori relayed to Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo yesterday the Security Council's call for an in-depth inquiry into the atrocities.

Mr. Schori said the situation in the west showed that there are many armed groups in the country, making it extremely urgent that the next steps of the Pretoria peace agreement be implemented, especially demobilizing and disarming militia members.

UNOCI said it had received reports that the affected villages from which people fled were being looted by militias.