Côte d’Ivoire: UN mission chief calls for advances in peace process

The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Côte d’Ivoire, back from a meeting in South Africa with the African Union (AU) mediator on the West African country’s political problems, today said there was no objective reason why the peace process should not go forward.

“There are no longer any objective reasons for impeding the forward progress of the peace progress in Côte d’Ivoire,” Pierre Schori told journalists after his meeting with the mediator, South African President Thabo Mbeki, during a two-day trip on which he was accompanied by the UN High Representative for the elections in Côte d’Ivoire, Antonio Monteiro.

Mr. Schori said he would meet the other “Troika” members, Côte d’Ivoire Prime Minister Seydou Diarra and a South African mediation representative, later in the day, while a meeting between Mr. Mbeki and certain members of the Ivorian political leadership would soon be announced.

Noting that the Security Council was scheduled to meet informally to review Côte d’Ivoire’s progress tomorrow, and the Council’s Sanctions Committee was likely to meet at the end of the month, he said, “Even if we are of the opinion that the dialogue among the parties must be maintained, it is important to make concessions, it is important that the train start up.”

Fighting erupted in Côte d'Ivoire in 2002 when rebels seeking to oust President Laurent Gbagbo seized the north, dividing the world's largest cocoa producer in two. Last year the Security Council set up UNOCI, which, along with French Licorne forces, maintains a ceasefire between Government forces, ruling the south of the country, and the major rebel group, Forces Nouvelles, controlling the north.