UNSG releases first report on Cote d'Ivoire

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has highlighted the role the United Nations could play in consolidating peace efforts in Cote d'Ivoire in his first report on the crisis in the West African country. The report, made public this week, focuses on the findings and recommendations of a multidisciplinary assessment mission which travelled to the war-torn country from 24 February to 7 March. The mandate of the mission, headed by the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hedi Annabi, was to take stock of the situation on the ground and draft a framework for a future UN role in implementing a late January agreement in Linas-Marcoussis, France, which, the report said, "offers the best chance for the Ivorian people to peacefully resolve the conflict". The Annabi mission held numerous meetings, including with Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, government officials, UN agencies, military forces, civil society groups and Annan's special representative for the Ivorian crisis, Albert Tevoedjre. It also travelled to several towns in the hinterland to inquire about the security and humanitarian situation and witness the deployment of French and West African troops mandated to enforce a ceasefire signed on 17 October 2002. Proposals made by the mission following its two-week stay in the country fell into two categories: military and civilian. In the military sphere, Annan outlined four options based on the mission's recommendations: a)establish a military advisory team; b) deploy a military liaison group; c) deploy military observers throughout the country; d) launch a full-fledged peacekeeping operation. "It is recommended that, as an initial step, the Security Council consider approving option (b), which offers a course of action that is responsive to the emerging momentum in the political process and can provide the structure for an integrated approach in support of the implementation of the military aspects of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement", the report said. Other options, particularly the fourth option, "would be considered only in the event of a major change, either in the situation on the ground or in the commitment of the French or ECOWAS forces". Proposals related to non-military issues centered around ensuring that elections to be held in three years time are open and credible. "Considering the high stakes involved in the elections to be held in 2005 and the sensitive nature of the issues that have to be addressed in preparation for the elections, particularly the questions relating to national identity and eligibility to run for the presidency, several stakeholders suggested to the assessment mission that the United Nations should organize and conduct those elections," Annan told the Security Council. "I believe that the United Nations should be prepared to provide assistance for the electoral process to the fullest extent possible." The Secretary-General said it would be his intention "if requested" to dispatch an electoral assessment mission to the country to assist the government in its preparations. The 25-page report also addressed other key issues including human rights, media and the overall humanitarian situation. In his concluding observations, Annan wrote: "Once fully established and functional, the government of national reconciliation must expeditiously define how it intends to implement the Marcoussis work programme and develop a timetable to that end [...].In the meantime, I recommend that the Security Council approve the arrangement for United Nations support to the Ivorian peace process proposed in section IX of the present report and that a United Nations mission in Cote d'Ivoire, to be called MINUCI (Mission des Nations Unies en Cote d'Ivoire) be established for this purpose." [The full report]