Security Council concerned at humanitarian situation

The UN Security Council on Tuesday again expressed its concern at the humanitarian situation in Cote d'Ivoire, saying it was particularly worried about the situation of Liberian refugees who had recently crossed the border into the country. Welcoming recent progress in the implementation of the Linas-Marcoussis peace accord for the country, the Council president Ambassador Sergey Lavrov said in a press statement that members were satisfied at the presentation to the National Assembly, by the Prime Minister Seydou Diarra, of a draft programme for implementing the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement. "They also welcomed the start of discussions between [the Ivorian national army] FANCI and Forces nouvelles [various rebel groups] on arrangements for disarmament," Lavrov said. "They called on the parties to continue to take the Linas-Marcoussis process forward, in particular by appointing Ministers for Defence, Interior and Women Affairs." Council members were briefed on the visit by the Monitoring Committee to the western part of the country on 26 May, and received an update by France on the activities of its troops. "They welcomed the successful implementation, in particular in the west, of the complete ceasefire reached on 3 May," he said. "They renewed their appreciation for the support provided by French and ECOWAS forces in this operation, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 1464 and 1479. They urged member states to provide additional logistical and financial support to ECOWAS." The Council also called on member states to respond to the appeal launched by UN agencies and urged the parties to respect human rights and international humanitarian law. "Members of the Council looked forward to the opportunity to emphasize these points directly to the Ivoirian parties during their mission to West Africa at the end of June, beginning of July," Ambassador Lavrov said. Earlier on Tuesday, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hedi Annabi, briefed Council members on the latest developments in Cote d'Ivoire and on progress made towards establishing the UN Mission there (MINUCI).