WUNRN
IVORY COAST - COTE D'IVOIRE
Attached is the Report of the United
Nations Secretary-General on Children & Armed Conflict in Cote d'Ivoire
Alarming Upsurge in Reported Rape of Girls in Côte d’Ivoire,
UN Reports
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7
September 2007 – The
most basic rights of children are violated in Côte d’Ivoire, the West African
country split between the Government-controlled south and the Forces
nouvelles-held north since 2002, and there is “an alarming degree of violence
against children at the community level,” according to a new United Nations
report.
“I remain
deeply concerned about the prevailing culture of impunity for violations
against children,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his report to the
Security Council on children and armed conflict in Côte d’Ivoire, covering the
period from October 2006 to September 2007.
“I call upon
the relevant authorities to undertake and demonstrate concrete measures to
address this concern, including rigorous and timely investigation of incidents
and the prosecution of perpetrators,” he adds.
Mr. Ban also
voices deep concern at the prevalence of sexual violence, especially against
girls, and urges the Government “as a matter of urgent priority” to prepare a
national action plan to address the issue.
“During the
reporting period there was an upsurge in the number of reported cases of rape,
while reported killings and abductions have declined,” he writes. “Although the
majority of the most serious incidents of sexual violence occurred during the
clashes of 2002 and 2004, rape and other grave sexual violence against
children, especially girls, take place with alarming frequency. These
violations happen throughout the country.”
He welcomes
measures taken by Forces nouvelles and the militia groups to cooperate with the
UN and the national disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme to
end the association of children with their forces, and notes “significant
progress” made “both in dialogue with the parties to the conflict and in the
implementation of action plans by them” to end the practice.
Noting that
abduction of children is often associated with trafficking and forced
prostitution, Mr. Ban says perpetrators often go unpunished due to prevailing
insecurity and particularly the absence of a justice system in the north. “It
is critical that the Government of Côte d’Ivoire implement the multilateral
agreement against trafficking in children,” he says.
He also
welcomes the accord between the parties, reached in March in Ouagadougou, the
capital of neighbouring Burkina Faso, to heal the country’s split and calls on
all sides when carrying out the pact to ensure that issues concerning children
are taken into full consideration.
Mr. Ban’s
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy,
who is currently visiting the country, issued a press release today voicing
optimism that the problems of young Ivorians can be addressed. She cited plans
by the Government to set up of an inter-ministerial structure on the issue as
well as a national action plan to end sexual violence to be developed with UN
assistance.
“For one
year now, there is no case of child recruitment has been detected in Cote
d’Ivoire and the execution of the Action Plan seems to be on the right track.
We now need to ensure reintegration and proper follow-up on children in their
communities,” Ms Coomaraswamy said, calling in the international community to
support the reintegration programme established by the UN Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) and other partners.
“The
situation is moving in the right direction and Cote d’Ivoire can continue to
count on the support of the United Nations family,” she pledged.
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