Côte d’Ivoire: UN police train local officers in airport safety

United Nations police have trained nearly 300 Ivorian agents in airport safety, the world body’s peacekeeping mission in Côte d’Ivoire (ONUCI) announced.

After being taught to protect international civil aviation against illicit actions and to ensure the safety of passengers, crews, ground personnel and the public, 279 Ivorian gendarmes and police officers received diplomas in Abidjan on Thursday marking their graduation from a training course in airport safety conducted by the ONUCI police force.

In a separate development, the mission announced that its radio station – ONUCI FM – can now be heard in the Bandama region.

ONUCI FM, which provides general information, was created by the mission to promote peace and national reconciliation. Since 15 August 2004, it has been broadcasting news and feature programmes on politics, economics and culture in French. Broadcasts in national languages will be launched soon.

ONUCI FM's team currently comprises about 30 journalists and technicians and 10 correspondents in main Ivorian towns.

Côte d'Ivoire was divided into a Government-ruled south and rebel-held north after the failure of an attempted coup against President Laurent Gbagbo in September 2002 triggered a civil war. ONUCI troops and the UN-authorized French Licorne forces have been guarding the so-called Zone of Confidence separating the two areas.