COTE D'IVOIRE: PRO-GBAGBO MILITIAS CONTINUE TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 000778 SIPDIS SIPDIS KINSHASA PASS TO BRAZZAVILLE E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2016 TAGS: PGOV ASEC IV SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: PRO-GBAGBO MILITIAS CONTINUE TO OBSTRUCT IDENTIFICATION PROCESS REF: ABIDJAN 759 Classified By: POL/ECON Jim Wojtasiewicz, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) The local press July 18 was full of reports of incidents throughout the government-controlled areas of the country where pro-Gbagbo Young Patriots militias successfully blocked the "audiences foraines" -- itinerant courts -- from going forward with the identification process (reftel), including one incident in Senfra in the center-west where the car of one of the magistrates was burned. Nahouhou Perrine, the Justice Ministry official in charge of the administrative logistics for the deployment of the teams, confirmed to us July 18 that all 50 have now been deployed. To the best of her knowledge, all 31 teams in the government-controlled areas have so far been blocked from working by the Young Patriots. ¶2. (C) In the rebel-held areas, in contrast, the process appears to be moving forward peacefully. The 19 teams reportedly arrived in the North July 17. Leaders of the rebel New Forces (FN) met with them and later that day they issued a press release declaring their full support for the identification process and promising to do all in their power to facilitate the work of the itinerant courts. On July 18, according to Alain Lobognon, spokesperson for the FN, the itinerant courts reportedly began working without incident throughout the North. ¶3. (C) Comment. Clearly the Young Patriots are heeding the July 13 call by Affi N,Guessan, leader of President Gbagbo's Ivoirian Popular Front (FPI) party, for Gbagbo supporters to use any means necessary to block the itinerant courts. Indeed, Mamadou Coulibaly, president of the former National Assembly and another key FPI leader, went further on July 15, publicly calling on Gbagbo supporters to block not only the itinerant courts but also the work of the Independent Electoral Commission to register voters. Gbagbo himself chimed in July 15 with a fiery speech to an audience of youth supporters, in which he defended the Young Patriots and heaped scorn on the United Nations for not forcing the rebels to disarm. The Gbagbo camp appears determined to block preparations for elections until the rebels disarm. End Comment. Hooks