UN: Ivoirians at risk of civil war

Ban Ki-moon says UN mission is hindered by forces loyal to president, as country faces 'real risk' of renewed civil war. Last Modified: 22 Dec 2010 00:01 GMT

The UN mission in the Cote d'Iviore was attacked last Saturday [EPA] Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, has said that forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, the Cote d'Iviore president, have tried to blockade the UN mission there and that the country faces a "real risk" of returning to civil war. Ban made the comments on Tuesday when briefing the UN General Assembly, and called on member states to prepare supplies to help the mission. UN peacekeepers are guarding the headquarters of Alassane Ouattara, the opposition leader, who like Gbagbo, claims victory in a presidential election on November 28. The pro-Gbagbo Constitutional Council overturned results certified by the UN mission that said that Ouattara won the poll. 'Critical situation' "The intention of Mr Gbagbo and the security forces loyal to him is clearly to blockade the United Nations peacekeeping mission and to suffocate the government of President-elect Ouattara," Ban said. "We cannot allow this." Ban said that forces had blocked UN patrols, denied customs clearance of supplies at Abidjan port and prevented delivery of supplies for more than 800 UN troops and police at the Golf Hotel in the city. "I am concerned that this disruption of life-support supplies for the mission and the Golf Hotel will put our peacekeepers in a critical situation in the coming few days," he said. "I therefore strongly appeal to member states who are in a position to do so to prepare to support the mission to assist with the continued flow of supplies." Gbagbo has remained in the position of president following the overturn of the poll results and since demanded that the UN mission leave the country. However, the UN Security Council has defied this and on Monday extended the mandate for the force - known as UNOCI - for six-months. Ban said its role "is now even more critical'" for the stability of the West African country and the region. 'Mercenaries' He added that the UN force "has also confirmed that mercenaries, including freelance former combatants from Liberia, have been recruited to target certain groups in the population". Alain Le Roy, the UN peacekeeping chief, also said that he was concerned that groups linked to Gbagbo might be preparing strikes against the UN peacekeepers. He added that mercenaries may have been recruited from Angola. UNOCI was attacked on Saturday and returned fire. Gbagbo gave a public address on Tuesday stating that an international committee, headed by the African Union, would be welcomed to look into the electoral dispute. "I don't want another war, I don't want any more Ivorian blood to be spilled," Gbagbo said. "I am therefore ready to welcome a committee ... headed by the African Union, involving ECOWAS, the United Nations, United States, the European Union, Russia and China, which will have permission to analyse objectively the facts of the electoral process ... to solve this crisis." The Cote d'Iviore is the world's biggest cocoa producer.

Source: Agencies