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II. Recommendations

To the United Nations Security Council

  • Approve the French draft resolution for an immediate increase in UNOCI peacekeeping forces, civilian police personnel and support staff.
  • Expedite the work of the U.N. Sanctions Committee and immediately activate travel and economic sanctions against individuals identified as responsible for serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, who break the U.N. arms embargo or who incite publicly hatred and violence.
  • Expedite the publication of the report of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations committed since 2002 and hold a meeting in the U.N. Security Council to discuss its findings and recommendations.
  • Increase resources to UNOCI for monitoring of radio and television broadcasts which incite hatred, intolerance and violence.
  • In the event deterioration in the security situation in Cote d’Ivoire is accompanied by persistent radio and television transmissions intended to incite hatred, intolerance and violence against civilian populations, be prepared to pass a resolution, or include in another resolution an article, which calls for the blocking of such transmissions.

To the United Nations Mission in Cote d’Ivoire

  • Ensure that UNOCI forces can provide protection to all civilians whose security is at risk because of communal tension or threats from abusive military forces. 

To the African Union

  • Consider the imposition of sanctions – including arms embargos, travel bans and economic sanctions – against the Ivorian government or other African governments which sponsor groups involved in the perpetration of widespread and systematic human rights abuses, including the use and recruitment of child soldiers.

To the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court

  • Publicly acknowledge the gravity of the crimes that have been committed by all sides to the Ivorian conflict, and that you have been vested with the authority to investigate and prosecute them.
  • Take steps to lay the groundwork as soon as is feasible to begin an investigation with a view to prosecution of those suspected of human rights and international humanitarian law violations by both pro-government and rebel forces.

To the Government of Côte d’Ivoire

  • Issue clear public instructions to all security forces to respect international humanitarian and human rights law. Ensure attacks on Burkinabe and other foreign groups end immediately and those responsible for such attacks are brought to justice.
  • Issue clear public orders to security services to ensure that civilian militias are brought within the scope of the law and cannot act with impunity.
  • Acknowledge and condemn unlawful killings committed by security and other pro-government forces since September 2002.
  • Investigate and punish those responsible for harassment and extortion of traders and travelers by the security services and civilian militias.
  • End the incitement of hatred, intolerance and violence by state-run broadcasters and print journalists and bring to justice any broadcasters or journalists that incite the same. Respect freedom of expression and create a climate in which journalists may work freely.
  • Cooperate fully with any investigative steps taken by the International Criminal Court.

To the New Forces

  • Issue clear public instructions to all combatants to respect international humanitarian and human rights law.
  • Ensure combatants receive human rights and international humanitarian law training.
  • Issue clear instructions to combatants to allow the return of refugees and displaced persons, in particular members of the Baoulé group that fled Bouaké.
  • Cooperate fully with any investigative steps taken by the International Criminal Court.

To France

  • Issue clear instructions to commanders to control civilian demonstrators without resorting to lethal force unless their forces are in clear and imminent danger of their lives.
  • Conduct an investigation into the alleged disproportionate use of force against demonstrators in Abidjan by the French in November 2004.
  • Ensure French forces are trained in crowd control and equipped with riot control gear.
  • Ensure troops in Operation Unicorn respect international humanitarian law and intervene to protect all civilians throughout their area of deployment.

To the United States, the European Union and other international donors

  • Call publicly and privately on the Ivorian government to investigate and where applicable prosecute violators of international humanitarian law and human rights.
  • Condition military or police assistance to the Ivorian government, with the exception of human rights training, on the investigation and prosecution of those accused of such abuses.
  • Give political and financial backing to any judicial mechanism set up to ensure accountability for perpetrators of serious crimes.

 


<<previous  |  index  |  next>>May 2005