Western border area a major concern, officials tell UN envoy

As the UN Humanitarian Envoy for the Crisis in Cote d'Ivoire Carolyn McAskie shuttled between Abidjan offices on Wednesday meeting UN, governmental and other officials, her interlocutors were unanimous in identifying western Cote d'Ivoire as the most pressing humanitarian issue in a seven-month-old conflict between loyalist and rebels in the West African country. "It's a conflict within a conflict," General Bruno Dary, tactical commander of a French force stationed in Cote d'Ivoire, said at a meeting with the UN envoy, who is also the UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. McAskie, who arrived in Cote d'Ivoire on Tuesday, was scheduled to travel on Friday to the western part of the country to obtain first-hand knowledge of the situation there. Areas near Cote d'Ivoire's border with Liberia have been volatile since November 2002 when two rebel groups surfaced around the towns of Man and Danane, located some 578 and 626 km northwest of the economic capital, Abidjan. Fighting between loyalist forces and rebels has killed an unquantified number of people, including civilians. Many others have been wounded and thousands displaced. Earlier this month, several towns in the area were bombarded by helicopter gunships belonging to the government, which said the rebels had attacked its positions forcing it to counterattack. Cote d'Ivoire's crisis began on 19 September when some members of the armed forces staged an uprising that developed into a rebellion. Within a short period, the country had been divided in two, with rebels occupying the north while the south remained in the hands of the state. On the northern front between loyalist and rebel forces, a ceasefire concluded on 17 October 2002, has been monitored by French and later West African troops. A ceasefire in the west was concluded in January 2003. However, it has been broken continually. The fighting in the west did not prevent a major development on the political front: since last week, nominees from all groups represented in a new government of national reconciliation have taken up their posts. The formation of the new government, which includes ruling and opposition parties and Cote d'Ivoire's three rebel groups, was agreed at a meeting held in January in Linas-Marcoussis, France, to discuss Cote d'Ivoire's crisis. However, security and other concerns had led to delays in putting the multi-party cabinet together. The prevailing situation, the humanitarian impact of the crisis and the UN's role in helping the authorities in restoring peace throughout the country were among issues discussed by McAskie on Wednesday with the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Cote d'Ivoire, Albert Tevoedjre. The humanitarian situation and its ramifications also topped discussions between the UN envoy - whose current mission is a follow-up to one she conducted to Cote d'Ivoire and neighbouring countries earlier this year - and the country directors of UN agencies working in Cote d'Ivoire. McAskie, who was accompanied by Besida Tonwe, head of the Abidjan-based Regional Support Office for West Africa of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), also had talks with members of Cote d'Ivoire's government on Wednesday. Her discussions with Minister of Solidarity and Social Security Clotilde Ohouchi focussed on issues relating to Ivorian refugees in neighbouring countries, internally displaced people, children and HIV/AIDS. Ohouchi briefed McAskie on humanitarian aid which her ministry had been able to distribute to vulnerable populations using 1.2 billion FCFA (about US $2 million) received so far through a national solidarity fund. At a meeting with Sebastien Danon Djedje, who heads the newly-created national reconciliation ministry, McAskie highlighted the importance of his portfolio, assured him that the international community was willing to help Cote d'Ivoire's government but noted the need for reconciliation at the government level. Human rights, xenophobia, reconciliation efforts and the situation in western Cote d'Ivoire were among issues addressed during McAskie's meeting with Djedje. The UN envoy is expected to end her mission on 29 April with the launch of an inter-agency appeal for funding for efforts to cover humanitarian needs in Cote d'Ivoire and its five neighbours, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Liberia, Mali and Sierra Leone.