Côte d’Ivoire: UN mission calls on all parties to stay in peace process

Expressing deep concern about recent statements made by some political leaders in Côte d’Ivoire which could set back the peace process, the United Nations mission in the country today called for all parties to overcome their differences through dialogue.

The mission, known as UNOCI, said the remarks come at a critical stage in the peace process, when fragile achievements in such areas as identification and disarmament, must be consolidated.

“UNOCI calls on all Ivorian parties to use dialogue to overcome their misunderstandings and differences,” the mission said in a news release, appealing to all concerned “to maintain their support for, commitment to and participation in the peace process as there is no other way of achieving a viable and lasting solution to the crisis.”

Meanwhile, the senior UN official for West Africa told the UN News Centre that while he has concerns about some recent violent events in Côte d’Ivoire, he remains optimistic that the country will be able to hold free and fair elections on schedule in October.

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa, said that “you will always have ups and downs in an election period, but I am hopeful that the election will be held.”

Mr. Ould-Abdallah also described the mobile court system, which has been set up across the country to allow those Ivorians without official papers to prove their nationality and thus be registered as voters, as “one of the best ways to address the process of identifying Ivorians.”

Earlier this week the Security Council issued a presidential statement in which, among other issues, it condemned recent “obstructions to the normal functioning” of the mobile courts.