Security Council extends expert group on arms embargo against Côte d’Ivoire

With the situation in Côte d’Ivoire continuing to pose a threat to international peace and security, the United Nations Security Council has extended the mandate of the three-person team monitoring the arms embargo against that country, which has been divided between government and rebel forces since fighting broke out in 2002.

The Group of Experts will continue working through mid-December, the Council decided in a resolution adopted unanimously on Tuesday, and should prepare an updated report on the effectiveness of the weapons ban.

Imposed by the Council in November 2004, that embargo requires all countries to prevent any arms or related materiel from going to Côte d'Ivoire.

The Group was established in February to gather and analyze information in Côte d’Ivoire and other countries in the region on arms caches and flows, and to recommend ways of improving the embargo’s effectiveness. The panel, chaired by Atabou Bodian of Senegal, has toured the region and offered suggestions for stemming the weapons trade.