The United Nations peacekeeping force in Côte d'Ivoire has begun clearing explosive devices that were left over by combatants during the bloody post-election violence that engulfed the West-African country following the runoff presidential poll last November.

A team of United Nations health experts have visited western Côte d’Ivoire in an effort to identify what needs to be done to improve access to health services, which were severely disrupted by the post-election conflict.

United Nations agencies are stepping up their efforts to ease the suffering of civilians in Côte d’Ivoire who bore the brunt of the post-election crisis that was marked by ethnic tensions, human rights violations and the displacement of an estimated one million people.

The Security Council today encouraged the President of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, to form an all-inclusive, broad-based Government now that he is assuming his responsibilities as head of State following the surrender of his predecessor, who had until this week refused to cede power after his defeat in last year’s presidential poll.