Share & more
A human rights organisation in Cote d’Ivoire says 33 persons died in unrest in Abidjan between Monday and Wednesday, while others have disappeared.
The Mouvement ivoirien des droits de l’homme (MIDH) said the unrest started after security forces targetted demonstrators who had gathered for a meeting of the opposition Rassemblement des Republicains (RDR) to protest against the rejection of its leader, Alassane Ouattara, as a candidate for Sunday’s parliamentary poll.
The MIDH said security forces shot at demonstrators, and detained people during and after the meeting, including persons who had not demonstrated but belonged to a “target population” because of their religion, regions of origin or surnames. It said some people were detained illegally and subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment.
MIDH said “the attempt by the population to resist force with force, as well as (a) call by the head of state for the security forces to have no restraint,” led to increased violence. The organisation said it “condemns these attacks on human rights and dignity” and called for a commission of inquiry into the abuses. The body should be headed by the International Federation of Human Rights, MIDH said.
It called on President Laurent Gbagbo to rise above partisan conflicts and find a suitable political solution to Cote d’Ivoire’s political crisis.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
