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Côte d'Ivoire: Human Rights Reports
AfricaFocus Bulletin
Feb 28, 2011 (110228)
(Reposted from sources cited below)
Editor's Note
"The political stalemate resulting from the elections has been
characterized by the use of excessive force by supporters of Mr.
Laurent Gbagbo, including elements of the security forces loyal to
him, to repress public demonstrations, harassment and
intimidation, incitement to ethnic and political violence,
arbitrary arrest and detention, sexual violence, torture, enforced
disappearances, and extrajudicial killings." - Report by United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, February
2011
There may be many uncertainties about what the international
community should be to avert the escalation of violence in the
post-election crisis in Côte d'Ivoire, as well as debate about the
background causes and the wisdom of elections as means of resolving
conflict in that country. But there can be no reasonable doubt that
the balance of blame for human rights abuses lies with the forces
of former President Laurent Gbagbo, who has refused to leave office
after losing the second round of presidential elections in November
2010.
This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains one of the latest reports from
Human Rights Watch, as well as the summary from the report of the
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. These reports, as well as
reports from Amnesty International, also note some abuses committed
by supporters of election victor Alassane Ouattara, as well as in
inter-communal clashes by supporters of both sides. But they
attribute the majority of the violence to politically organized
actions by state security forces and allied militia.
Additional reports on the human rights situation from Human Rights
Watch, which follows the situation closely, can be found at
http://www.hrw.org/africa/cote-divoire Reports from Amnesty
International are at http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/cote-divoire
Another AfricaFocus Bulletin released today, available on the web
at http://www.africafocus.org/docs11/ci1102b.php), but not sent out
by e-mail, contains an open letter from scholars on the crisis in
Côte d'Ivoire, an article by Human Rights Watch South Africa
director criticizing the role of South African diplomacy in
undermining international pressure, and a wide range of annotated
links to other sources on the election, different views of the
crisis, and background analyses.
For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on Côte d'Ivoire, as well as
links to other background sources, visit
http://www.africafocus.org/country/cotedivoire.php
For earlier background links, see particularly
http://www.africafocus.org/docs03ej/ci0301b.php
For current news, see http://allafrica.com/cotedivoire/
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For more frequent updates, including recent links on Libya,
Equatorial Guinea, and Zimbabwe, visit AfricaFocus Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/AfricaFocus/101867576407 [click
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Côte d'Ivoire: Strong AU Action Needed to Prevent Escalation Into
Large-Scale Conflict
23 February 2011
Human Rights Watch (Washington, DC)
http://www.hrw.org
press release
Dakar -- The African Union delegation tasked with resolving the
political crisis in Côte d'Ivoire should work to end gross
violations of human rights by forces under the control of Laurent
Gbagbo, Human Rights Watch said today.
The delegation left the country on February 23, 2011, with plans to
issue their recommendations in the coming days.
Gbagbo has refused to cede power to Alassane Ouattara, whom
international observers have certified as credibly having won the
November 2010 presidential election. Gbagbo's forces have targeted
real and perceived supporters of Ouattara, using excessive and
often lethal force against largely peaceful demonstrators since
early December, Human Rights Watch said.
Human Rights Watch has documented the killing by Gbagbo's security
forces of at least 11 people since February 19, including
demonstrators and passers-by, as well as the abduction and killing
of wounded people taken from an Abidjan hospital, and intimidation,
harassment, and abuse by armed militiamen. Killings of Gbabgo's
forces in pro-Ouattara neighborhoods also have been reported in
recent days. Human Rights Watch expressed grave concern that the
conflict could escalate if a quick solution is not found.
"As the African Union panel met in Abidjan, the bloodshed
continued," said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights
Watch." These leaders need to step in to find a just and
accountable way out of this stand-off before the violence gets any
worse."
The African Union's (AU) Peace and Security Council asked five
African presidents to work to break the deadlock. The presidents of
South Africa, Chad, Mauritania and Tanzania arrived in Abidjan on
February 21, while the fifth, from Burkina Faso, was prevented from
participating in the talks because of threats from Gbagbo
supporters. Victor Gbeho, the president of the Commission of the
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), expressed
concern on February 23 that the AU panel went ahead with its
Abidjan visit without the entire delegation. Political and youth
leaders in Ouattara's coalition have made clear that demonstrations
will continue if the AU panel decision does not result in Gbagbo
stepping down.
In late January, an in-depth investigation by Human Rights Watch
into violations in the commercial capital, Abidjan, revealed an
often-organized campaign of violence by Gbagbo's security forces
targeting members of Ouattara's political coalition, ethnic groups
from northern Côte d'Ivoire, Muslims, and immigrants from
neighboring West African countries.
Human Rights Watch research shows new violations in recent weeks,
with reports of the security forces firing lethal weapons -
including live ammunition, fragmentation grenades, and
rocket-propelled grenades - into crowds of people who continue to
call on Gbagbo to concede his loss to Ouattara.
In a particularly egregious case, security forces abducted
perceived and actual Ouattara supporters from a hospital, where
they were receiving treatment for bullet wounds. Family members
later found the bodies of several of them in local morgues,
witnesses told Human Rights Watch. At least one immigrant from
Burkina Faso was slashed with a machete at a makeshift militia
checkpoint in the Port Bouët neighborhood.
Human Rights Watch is also concerned about the apparent killing of
at least three members of pro-Gbagbo security forces. On February
8, three bodies with their throats slit were found in the streets
of Abobo PK-18, an Abidjan neighborhood that is an Ouattara
stronghold. Another body of a person dressed in military uniform
who apparently had been killed in a similar fashion was found
during the night of February 13. A local journalist, speaking to
Human Rights Watch on the condition of anonymity, confirmed reports
of the three Abobo killings and identified one of the deceased as
Chief Dago Séri, who serves with Gbagbo's Republican Guard.
Other sources alleged that the attackers of the pro-Gbagbo officers
were youth members of Ouattara's political coalition, the Rally of
Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), and armed combatants
from the Forces Nouvelles ("New Forces," or FN), the longtime rebel
army previously under the control of the recently named prime
minister for Ouattara, Guillaume Soro. Forces Nouvelles has
controlled the northern half of the country since the 2002-2003
civil war.
General Staff Colonel Hilaire Babri Gohourou, spokesperson for the
Security and Defense Forces (FDS) loyal to Gbagbo, acknowledged on
the national television channel the death of three military
personnel since February 7, two in Abobo and one in Du‚kou‚ in
western C“te d'Ivoire.
Numerous Ivorians and Liberians, including former combatants, told
Human Rights Watch that groups on both sides of the current divide
have been recruiting young men and remobilizing others for use in
a much-feared resumption of hostilities. Credible evidence
indicates that Abidjan alone is teeming with hundreds of new
recruits, including pro-Gbagbo militiamen being trained in the
Yopougon, Abobo, and Port Bouët neighborhoods. The Forces
Nouvelles are also recruiting in Abidjan.
The conflict could easily spread to the surrounding region, as
Human Rights Watch has documented continued recruitment in Liberia,
including former fighters from the bloody Liberian civil war, by
security forces loyal to Gbagbo.
Human Rights Watch has called on Gbagbo to make clear immediately
that the continued use of violence by his forces against Ouattara
supporters and others will not be tolerated. Gbagbo's incumbent
government also needs to recognize people's rights to freedom of
expression, association, and assembly, Human Rights Watch said. And
both sides should direct their armed forces to exercise maximum
restraint. Human Rights Watch reminded armed groups that they could
be held responsible for war crimes and any other grave violations
of human rights if hostilities resume.
"To prevent a return to a civil war, cooler heads need to prevail
on both sides of the divide," Bekele said. "At the very least, the
visiting African Union delegation needs to call for an end to the
current abuses and the incitement to violence by all sides."
Excessive Use of Force, Illegal Detention
On February 21 in the Koumassi neighborhood, three witnesses told
Human Rights Watch that security forces fired at least two
rocket-propelled grenades directly into a crowd of over 100
demonstrators, killing at least four and wounding several others.
Several witnesses said that pro-Gbagbo security forces, including
the Command Center for Operations and Security (CECOS), an elite
gendarme unit, fired live rounds and tossed fragmentation grenades
into the crowd.
One demonstrator said, "First they shot at us, and then they fired
rockets directly into the crowd. I saw several dead, including one
Malian man whose arm was completely severed. His intestines were
completely outside his body."
In Treichville, around 9 a.m. the same day, troops from the
Republican Guard, an elite unit closely linked to Gbagbo, arrived
in a convoy of cargo trucks and opened fire on demonstrators
congregated at the intersections of Avenue 16 and Rues 17 and 21.
One witness told Human Rights Watch, "They came and opened fire
with live ammunition immediately. A youth not far from me took a
gunshot straight to his head; it was as if part of his face was
blown off. He was one of at least two killed that I saw with my own
eyes."
Human Rights Watch has also confirmed previous reports of at least
5 people killed when security forces opened fire in the
neighborhood of Abobo on February 19 and 20.
Human Rights Watch called on security forces to comply with the UN
Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, which state
that, in dispersing assemblies, "law enforcement officials shall
avoid the use of force or, where that is not practicable, shall
restrict such force to the minimum extent necessary."
Firing live ammunition, fragmentation grenades, and
rocket-propelled grenades into crowds and fleeing protestors
clearly violates these requirements, and security forces that
continue to engage in such behavior should be brought to account,
Human Rights Watch said. Commanding officers, including the heads
of the Republican Guard and CECOS - elite units that have been
continuously implicated in grave human rights abuses during the
post-election period - should likewise be put on notice for failing
to take all measures in their power to prevent, suppress, or report
such abuses, Human Rights Watch said.
More than 20 demonstrators were also arrested and detained on
February 21. Human Rights Watch called on the security forces to
release them immediately or bring charges against them.
Hospital Abductions
Around 10 a.m. on February 8, armed soldiers in green camouflage
arrived in a convoy of military trucks and entered
Houphouët-Boigny hospital in Abobo neighborhood. At least 17
wounded people had been taken there after security forces opened
fire on protesters the day before, killing several. Most of the 17
had gunshot wounds and were largely unable to move, witnesses told
by Human Rights Watch.
One witness present at the hospital heard the military forces say,
"You are all rebels - let's go, get in," as they forced an unknown
number of the wounded into the trucks.
Family members immediately learned of the situation and visited
military and police sites throughout the city trying to discover
the whereabouts of their loved ones. One family member interviewed
by Human Rights Watch found the body of her son at the Anyama
morgue on February 11.
According to credible reports, two other family members found
deceased victims at the Abidjan military hospital. The exact total
of those abducted and the number of dead remain unknown.
Some protesters did appear to have engaged in aggressive behavior
at the local police station on February 7, but the threats in no
way justified extrajudicial killings, the excessive use of force,
or arbitrary arrests, Human Rights Watch said.
"To abduct wounded persons during the light of day from a hospital,
a place which should always be a refuge, demonstrates the
brazenness and complete impunity with which Gbagbo's security
forces are operating," Bekele said. "The wounded will now be
terrified to seek treatment, further endangering lives during these
difficult times."
Growing Recruitment, Concerns of Armed Conflict
Numerous Ivorian residents and Liberian former combatants
interviewed by Human Rights Watch described recent waves of
recruitment of youths to be deployed in the event hostilities
resume between forces loyal to Gbagbo and those allied with the
Forces Nouvelles. Ivorians from the Abidjan neighborhoods of
Yopougon, Abobo, and Port Bouët, as well as those who had visited
the political capital, Youmoussoukro, and the far western town of
Du‚kou‚, where some of the fiercest fighting took place during the
civil war, described seeing hundreds of young men in military
training in schools, university housing units, and military camps.
The training was usually being conducted by members of the Ivorian
security forces.
Several residents from the Port Bouët neighborhood described being
regularly intimidated and harassed by a group of about 150 youths
who form part of an armed militia based in a university dormitory
there. They described how the youths, many armed with pistols,
automatic weapons, and machetes, regularly harass, threaten, and at
times attack members of the West African diaspora who live there.
One witness told Human Rights Watch, "I see them running through
every morning and afternoon, guarded by a few with guns in front
and behind." He had provided first aid to a neighbor from Burkina
Faso who had been attacked and slashed with machetes by the group
on February 19. The witness said the militiamen often threaten to
attack and kill the residents there if Gbagbo is ever forced from
office. Others said they complained to the police twice about the
intimidation but were told, "This is a political matter; there is
nothing we can do."
Several Liberians who had fought in Liberia's armed conflict, which
ended in 2003, told Human Rights Watch they had been approached and
asked if they wanted to fight alongside troops loyal to Gbagbo. The
recruitment documented by Human Rights Watch took place in the
Liberian cities of Monrovia, Zwedru, and Buchanan.
On the other side, pro-Ouattara militants are increasingly arming
themselves and fighting back against security forces, particularly
in Abobo. Credible reports also indicate that the Forces Nouvelles
have re-integrated almost all soldiers that were previously
demobilized. Research by Human Rights Watch has also shown that
some Forces Nouvelles soldiers have engaged in intimidation and
violence against Gbagbo supporters in the north, though not on the
scale of the violence committed by pro-Gbagbo forces in Abidjan.
Commanding officers on both sides of the military divide need to
ensure that they have effective command and control over their
subordinates and should train them to adhere to the laws of war and
international human rights standards, Human Rights Watch said.
United Nations General Assembly
Human Rights Council
Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation
of human rights in Côte d'Ivoire
Draft: 15 February, 2011
[Summary only. For the full report, with extensive documentation,
see the news story and link to the report at
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37608]
Summary
- This report is submitted pursuant to Resolution S-14/1 of the
Human Rights Council (HRC) inviting the High Commissioner for Human
Rights to submit a report on the abuses and violations of human
rights in Côte d'Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010
presidential elections. The report covers events up to 31 January
2011.
- The long-awaited presidential election in Côte d'Ivoire took
place on 31 October and 28 November 2010 after having been
postponed six times since 2005. While the first round was conducted
on 31 October in a peaceful atmosphere and provided hope for the
end of the long-running political and military crisis in the
country, the run-off round held on 28 November was marred by a
radicalization of political rhetoric and speech that progressively
drove the country into turmoil with severe consequences for the
overall human rights situation. Following the announcement of
divergent results by the Independent Electoral Commission and the
Constitutional Council, elected President Ouattara formed a
government, while Mr. Gbagbo has tried to hang on to power and also
appointed a "government" which is not recognized by the
international community.
- The imposition of a night-time curfew on the eve of the run-off
round, attempts to prevent members of the dioula and baoulé ethnic
communities from voting, significant irregularities and acts of
intimidation witnessed in the Centre-North-East zone controlled by
the Forces nouvelles, the violent repression by law enforcement
officers of a public demonstration organized by the Rassemblement
des Houphouëtistes pour la Démocratie et la Paix (RHDP) on 16
December, 2010 and the subsequent RHDP call for civil disobedience
on 18 January 2011, progressively contributed to the deterioration
of the situation in the country. This unprecedented situation was
exacerbated by the recruitment and use of youth groups, militias
and alleged mercenaries which resulted in a number of serious human
rights violations, some of which reportedly were ethnically and
politically motivated and produced victims in both sides, but
mainly among supporters of the RHDP.
- The state-owned television corporation, the Radio Télévision
Ivoirienne (RTI), has been disseminating xenophobic messages
inciting hatred and violence, and promoting religious and ethnic
division between the north and the south. The volatile political
situation and worsening human rights situation led to the internal
and cross-border displacement of thousands of Ivorians internally
and in neighboring countries, and negatively impacted on the
economic, social and cultural rights of the population.
- The Gbagbo camp repeatedly obstructed UNOCI and impeded its
freedom of movement, including attempts made by the Human Rights
Division to investigate allegations about mass graves in Anyama
(Abidjan), Lakota (near Divo) and Issia (near Daloa) and other
serious human rights violations. These obstructions prevented UNOCI
from fully discharging its protection of civilians mandate as
prescribed under Security Council resolutions 1894 (2009) and 1933
(2010).
- The deteriorating human rights situation in Côte d'Ivoire was
strongly condemned by the UN Secretary-General and the High
Commissioner for Human Rights. The High Commissioner wrote
individually to Mr. Laurent Gbagbo and three top Military
Commanders to remind them of their obligation to protect civilians
and of their personal accountability for human rights abuses and
infringements of international humanitarian law committed by
elements of the security forces placed under their command and
control. Several UN experts and Special Procedures also mandate
holders voiced their concern over gross human rights violations
committed in the country.
- With the political stalemate now going into the third month, the
human rights situation in Côte d'Ivoire is becoming more
precarious. Almost three hundred people have been confirmed killed
since the beginning of the crisis and there are continuing reports
of abductions, illegal detention and attacks against civilians.
More than 35,000 people have been forced to flee their homes and
seek refuge elsewhere, including in neighboring countries. There
are reports of thousands of youth being forcibly recruited and
armed, presumably in preparation for violent conflict. The
propagation of hatred and violence through the media remains a
serious concern. Disruptions to the means of livelihood, including
through the impact of the operation "ghost country" which calls for
a nation-wide civil disobedience and work stoppage, have severely
limited access to education and basic economic and social rights.
Meanwhile, the obstruction of UNOCI has limited its ability to
verify the full extent and scale of the human rights violations
across the country.
Introduction
- This report is submitted pursuant to resolution S-14/1 of the
Human Rights Council (HRC) inviting the High Commissioner for Human
Rights to submit a report on the abuses and violations of human
rights in Côte d'Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010
presidential elections. The report covers the period up to 31
January 2011.
- On 23 December 2011, the HRC held a Special Session during which
it reviewed the human rights situation in Côte d'Ivoire following
the proclamation of the results of the second round of the
presidential elections on 28 November 2010. The political stalemate
resulting from the elections has been characterized by the use of
excessive force by supporters of Mr. Laurent Gbagbo, including
elements of the security forces loyal to him, to repress public
demonstrations, harassment and intimidation, incitement to ethnic
and political violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, sexual
violence, torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial
killings. Some acts of harassment, assault, destruction, of
property and looting were reportedly committed by supporters of
President Ouattara during and after the elections. Thousands of
people were also forcefully displaced within the country inside
Côte d'Ivoire and into neighboring countries. Despite repeated
calls from the international community to allow free movements and
access to civilians, the security forces and youth groups allied to
Mr. Gbagbo obstructed the movement of the United Nations Operation
in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI).
...
AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication
providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with
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