UN 'gravely concerned' about situation in Cote d'Ivoire
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UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Frances Deng and Special Adviser who Focuses on the Responsibility to Protect Edward Luck said Wednesday that they believe action should be taken to prevent genocide and other mass atrocities in Cote d'Ivoire.
"We remain gravely concerned about the possibility of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Cote d 'Ivoire," Deng said. "We believe that urgent steps should be taken, in line with the responsibility to protect to avert the risk of genocide and ensure the protection of all those at risk of mass atrocities."
The statements of Deng and Luck came at a press briefing on the troubled West African country, which has been thrust into political turmoil since a Nov. 28 runoff presidential election left both Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo claiming victory.
Though Ouattara has been confirmed as the new president by the UN and much of the international community, Gbagbo still refuses to give up his claim on the presidency, and has used his forces to detain the Ouattara government in Abidjan's Golf Hotel for several weeks. Violence continues in Cote d'Ivoire as regional leaders try to broker an agreement between the two sides.
Deng and Luck said that they are concerned that the crisis has become a cause for incitement of ethnic divisions within the Ivorian population.
"We are disturbed about allegations that the armed forces and militia groups that back opposing camps in the current political crisis are recruiting and arming ethnic groups allied to each camp, " Luck said. "We are also deeply troubled about reports of continuing hate speech that appears to be aimed at inciting violent attacks against particular ethnic and national groups."
Luck noted that ethnic clashes have already occurred in Duekoue, Gabia, and Lakota within the last few days.
"There is a real risk that such clashes could spread across the country," he said. "If not checked, they could culminate in mass atrocities."
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