Top UN official in Côte d'Ivoire holds talks with Prime Minister over political crisis

The head of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Côte d'Ivoire met today with the country's Prime Minister to stress the need to resolve mounting political tensions in the fragile West African country, where the Government and the independent electoral authority have just been dissolved ahead of scheduled elections.

Y. J. Choi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and the head of the mission (known as UNOCI), held talks in Abidjan with Guillaume Soro “during this delicate and sensitive moment,” according to a statement released by the mission.

Mr. Choi is holding talks with Ivorian political leaders this week to try to assist the country's political process, at risk after violent tensions flared in several towns this month. UNOCI also has its forces on alert in case of renewed fighting.

Ivorians are supposed to go to the ballot box next month to elect a president for the first time since the country was split in two by civil war in 2002.

But those elections, originally intended to be staged in 2005, have been repeatedly delayed, and last week voter registration was suspended. President Laurent Gbagbo also dissolved both the Government and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Friday.

Speaking to journalists after his meeting with Mr. Soro, Mr. Choi emphasized the importance of consolidating the achievements made so far in the lead-up to the elections, including the provisional electoral list of eligible voters.

A definitive electoral list must be established as soon as possible as part of wider efforts to normalize the situation and bring calm, the Special Representative said.

“I'm confident that with their refined sense of politics and culture of non-violence, Ivorians will be able to find a solution calmly and quickly,” he said.