UN helps plan election security in Côte d’Ivoire

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Côte d’Ivoire said today it had begun, together with national authorities, planning the deployment of mixed units – made up of former rebels and government forces – to provide security during the presidential elections scheduled for November.

The head of the UN Police in Côte d’Ivoire, Pierre André Campiche, met with the Ivorian Defence Minister Michel Amani N’Guessan and Interior Minister Désiré Tagro to discuss details of the joint operations and Ivorian requests for security support for the elections, the mission, known as UNOCI, said in a news release.

Prime Minister Guillaume Soro announced two weeks ago that presidential elections will be held on 29 November. The ballot had been repeatedly postponed after President Laurent Gbagbo's mandate expired in October 2005.

Mr. Amani N’Guessan said that 500 members of the Defence and Security Forces had been redeployed thus far in Bouaké and 100 Armed Forces of the New Forces (FAFN) members had been redeployed to Abidjan.