UN envoy for Cote d'Ivoire reports progress in political dialogue

The senior UN official in Cote d'Ivoire, Aichatou Mindaoudou, on Tuesday reported progress in political dialogue in the West African nation, and stability in the country is being progressively maintained and that the economy is growing.

Mindaoudou, in her statement to the UN Security Council on the current situation in Cote d'Ivoire, said that even as political disagreements remain, the political dialogue between the government and the opposition parties is progressing.

The special representative stressed that the October presidential election represents an important milestone in the consolidation of the hard-won gains in recent years.

In that regard, she said that she remained concerned by the lack of equipment among Ivoirian law enforcement and security institutions for the maintenance of public order.

On April 28, the 15-nation Security Council decided that all states shall prevent direct or indirect supply of weapons to Cote d'Ivoire given that the country's situation poses a threat to regional peace and security.

The UN council "decides, for a period ending on 30 April 2016, that all States shall take the necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer to Cote d'Ivoire, from their territories or by their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and any related lethal materiel, whether or not originating in their territories," said a resolution adopted by the council.

It also urged all illegal Ivorian armed combatants, including in neighboring countries, to lay down their arms immediately and called on the government of Cote d'Ivoire to ensure that those arms are neutralized or not illegally disseminated.

After the second Ivorian civil war in 2011 between forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, the ex-president since 2000, and supporters of the internationally recognized president-elect Alassane Ouattara, the country is still plagued by rampant insecurity, particularly in the west and north.

Moreover, the government has failed to disarm and reintegrate ex-combatants from both sides, resulting in a persistent flow of small weapons and light arms across the country. Endite