PRIME MINISTER BANNY ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 000810

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2016
TAGS: PGOV ASEC PREL KPKO IV
SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTER BANNY ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS
OVER MOBILE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

REF: ABIDJAN 804 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: DCM V.VALLE FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. The Prime Minister spoke to the nation last
night on the mobile identification process, addressing
concerns raised by the President's FPI party and its
supporters intent on disrupting the process. The PM made
clear that the mobile teams are essential to the peace
process and they will continue their work. Given the
security forces' unwillingness to intervene to preserve
order, however, the possibility of more clashes over the
identification process is high. End summary.


2. (U) Prime Minister Banny delivered a televised address to
the nation on July 24 in which he reviewed the mobile
identification process (audiences foraines, or AF) which
began last week and which have generated such heated
opposition from Gbagbo's FPI party and their militia
supporters. Banny replied to the objections raised by the
FPI that the AF have been too hastily implemented and without
appropriate consultations, that they cannot be properly
administered in conditions of security while the New Forces
remain armed and in control of the north, and that they are
not being conducted transparently and with adequate
safeguards to preclude fraud.


3. (U) Banny stressed that the AF are indispensable to the
peace process and that they are being conducted concomitantly
with the disarmament process. The first step of the latter,
he averred, has been completed with the pre-regroupment of
forces on both sides. Banny declared that there had been
extensive consultation prior to implementation of the AF and
that his government had tried to apply the lessons learned
from the pilot identification project conducted in May.


4. (U) The Prime Minister insisted that the AF are being
organized and carried out by the civil authorities and that
the AF will not be conducted without the presence of prefets
or sous-prefets (local administrators representing the
central government) in each location and supervising the
process. In order to address alleged security concerns
raised by some members of the prefectoral corps who have been
unwilling to go north for the AF, Banny has convoked a
meeting with the prefets on the morning of July 25.


5. (U Similarly, according to Banny, the AF will not be
carried out without the participation of magistrates on each
AF team. In order to assure the transparency of the process,
Banny invited all interested parties, including the principal
political parties, to witness the AF. The PM concluded by
calling for an end to the violence and by reiterating his
openness to hearing concerns and suggestions for improving
the AFs. However, the process, he made clear, must continue.


6. (C) The FPI continues to oppose the AF on grounds of lack
of security, transparency, and legality (while asserting that
it supports the process if it is carried out properly) and
says it will continue to boycott the operation until these
concerns are addressed. It would appear that, from the FPI's
perspective, the points raised by Banny in last night's
address fail to meet these concerns. Under the
circumstances, the possibility of continuing clashes between
groups supporting the AF and those endeavoring to block them
remains strong, particularly if the Ivoirian Security and
Defense Forces continue to refuse to intervene to maintain
order. Yesterday, for example, a group of Young Patriots
gathered in front of the Prime Minister's office to protest
the AF and Banny's support of them. When two UN vehicles
transporting High Representative for Elections Stoudmann
attempted to enter the PM's compound, the Patriots stoned the
vehicles, forcing them to retreat. Throughout, the
Presidential Guards at the Prime Minister's office stood by,
doing nothing.


7. (SBU) The UN has been monitoring the AF process in the
north and south and in the zone of confidence and we will
report their estimates of numbers of people processed and on
the extent to which the procedure has been disrupted in the
south via septel.
Hooks