UN sanctions chairman heads to Côte d'Ivoire

Amid postponed elections, continued insecurity and numerous allegations of human rights violations in Côte D'Ivoire, the United Nations sanctions chairman arrived today in the country where he is meeting with senior officials and representatives of unofficial groups.

Adamantios Vassilakis will spend three days in various parts of Côte D'Ivoire before returning to New York later this week to report to the Security Council, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York.

Last year, the Security Council imposed an arms embargo against Côte D'Ivoire in a resolution which also threatened measure against individuals "who constitute a threat to the peace and national reconciliation process." The restrictions include a ban on travelling abroad, and freeze the funds, other financial assets and economic resources of those designated by a Council committee set up to enforce the measures.

Recently, insecurity prompted the African Union (AU) to propose a delay in planned elections. After an assessment earlier this month by the head of the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), Pierre Schori, the 30 October elections were put off for another year.

At the time Mr. Schori reported major challenges in the country, with "gruesome" human rights violations, obstruction of the work of the UN force, and intimidation of political opponents. "Rampant insecurity seems to be the order of the day," he said.

UNOCI's human rights report covering the period May-June-July 2005, which was released in Abidjan on 8 October depicted in detail numerous alleged human rights violations committed with increasing frequency by elements of the government-controlled Defence and Security Forces (FDS), military elements of the Forces nouvelles (FN), armed and unarmed militia associated with either side of the Ivorian conflict and criminals.

Since a failed coup attempt in 2002, the Government has ruled the south of the cocoa-producing country, while the FN controls the north.