Identifying citizenry key to Ivorian peace process – UN envoy

Current progress in identifying citizens of Côte d’Ivoire will allow further advances in the slow but steady consolidation of peace in the West African country, which has been divided since 2002 between the Government-held south and an opposition-dominated north, the top United Nations envoy to that country told the Security Council today.

“The definitive settlement of the question of national identity, which could be reached in a few weeks, would be a historic and strategic advance,” said Choi Young-jin, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative for the country and head of the UN mission there, known as UNOCI.

“Peace and stability have been largely re-established in Côte d’Ivoire, to the point of allowing UNOCI to propose the reduction of its military forces by one battalion by March 2009,” he told the 15-member body as he briefed it on Mr. Ban’s latest report on the situation there.

The identity question is crucial to settling the Ivorian conflict, Mr. Choi has previously explained, because the country had received a large influx of immigration over the several decades when it was the most prosperous agricultural producer in its region, resulting in tensions when the economy slowed.

In addition, he told the Council at today’s briefing, the Ivorian parties agreed in December that the holding of the long-postponed elections, last scheduled for 30 November 2008, would now await the completion of the identification process and the disarmament of ex-combatants.

More than 3.5 million people have so far been identified across the length and breadth of the country, and the process had been nearly completed in the two most important political centres of Abidjan and Bouake, he said.

Very soon, he added, millions of Ivorians would get national identity cards for the first time in their lives, which would allow them to become freely engaged in economic activities and to circulate freely in their country as well as in neighbouring States.

“Perhaps even more significant is the fact that this historic and strategic advance was realized up to now without any major incidents,” he said.

Mr. Choi said that the identification operation should be completed in the spring, and he would then be in a better position to report to the Council on the progress of the two other crucial questions for the future of the country, disarmament and elections.