![[Ivory Coast] [Date picture taken: 09/01/2006]](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/20069225.jpg.webp?itok=aEcfmq-L "Cote d'Ivoire has been divided between a rebel-held north and government-run south since a brief war erupted in September 2002.")
West African leaders discussing Cote d’Ivoire’s future have decided to present their recommendations to the African Union and the United Nations to help determine a way forward for the divided country.
Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) reaffirmed their support for UN Resolution 1633, which laid out a peace plan for Cote d’Ivoire, but announced no decision on the country’s future beyond the end of President Laurent Gbagbo’s term at the end of the month.
Under the peace plan, elections were to have taken place before Gbagbo’s term expired. However, rebels opposed to him failed to disarm and the government halted the identification of undocumented Ivorians. Citizenship is a key element of the dispute that helped touch off a coup-attempt in September 2002 that ultimately divided Cote d’Ivoire between a rebel-held north and government-run south.
The rebels and the political opposition want Gbagbo to be replaced by a transitional, collegiate presidency. Gbagbo insists he should remain in office until new elections are held.
“There will be no election and we regret that very much,” said Mohamed Ibn Chambas, ECOWAS executive secretary, at the end of the meeting. “We want to make sure elections are held on schedule the next time.”
Chambas said proposals that came up at the Abuja meeting would be presented to the AU. It will then give the African position to the UN to work out a new action plan for peace.
Meanwhile, the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said on Monday that Cote d’Ivoire’s 750,000 internally displaced people (IDP) are increasingly in need of protection and assistance as tension rises across the country with the end of Gbagbo’s mandate approaching.
“Both pro-government militia and rebels have been continuing to commit serious abuses against civilians with impunity, causing ongoing low-level displacement and hampering return, particularly in the volatile west of the country where ethnic tensions and violent inter-community clashes remain rife,” the report said.
The IDMC said the humanitarian situation of the displaced and other vulnerable groups has continued to deteriorate, particularly in the west and north of the country where it said access to basic social services is extremely limited.
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Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) reaffirmed their support for UN Resolution 1633, which laid out a peace plan for Cote d’Ivoire, but announced no decision on the country’s future beyond the end of President Laurent Gbagbo’s term at the end of the month.
Under the peace plan, elections were to have taken place before Gbagbo’s term expired. However, rebels opposed to him failed to disarm and the government halted the identification of undocumented Ivorians. Citizenship is a key element of the dispute that helped touch off a coup-attempt in September 2002 that ultimately divided Cote d’Ivoire between a rebel-held north and government-run south.
The rebels and the political opposition want Gbagbo to be replaced by a transitional, collegiate presidency. Gbagbo insists he should remain in office until new elections are held.
“There will be no election and we regret that very much,” said Mohamed Ibn Chambas, ECOWAS executive secretary, at the end of the meeting. “We want to make sure elections are held on schedule the next time.”
Chambas said proposals that came up at the Abuja meeting would be presented to the AU. It will then give the African position to the UN to work out a new action plan for peace.
Meanwhile, the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said on Monday that Cote d’Ivoire’s 750,000 internally displaced people (IDP) are increasingly in need of protection and assistance as tension rises across the country with the end of Gbagbo’s mandate approaching.
“Both pro-government militia and rebels have been continuing to commit serious abuses against civilians with impunity, causing ongoing low-level displacement and hampering return, particularly in the volatile west of the country where ethnic tensions and violent inter-community clashes remain rife,” the report said.
The IDMC said the humanitarian situation of the displaced and other vulnerable groups has continued to deteriorate, particularly in the west and north of the country where it said access to basic social services is extremely limited.
dm/cs/nr
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