UN CLOSELY FOLLOWING IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000832

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC KPKO IV
SUBJECT: UN CLOSELY FOLLOWING IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

REF: A. ABIDJAN 810

B. ABIDJAN 804

C. ABIDJAN 778

D. ABIDJAN 613

ABIDJAN 00000832 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Poloff Phaedra Gwyn for reasons 1.4 b&d


1. (C) Summary. The United Nations is monitoring the
progress of the registration of undocumented Ivoirians, in
preparation for elections, and gave a briefing for embassies
and international organizations July 25. Reportedly, almost
all of the teams sent into rebel-held areas in the north are
operating without hindrance, while only a handful of the
teams in government-held areas are functioning. The UN is
concerned about the low numbers of Ivoirians being documented
and the various legal challenges that could be presented to
the registrations that the teams are managing to complete.
Shortly after the meeting there was renewed violence over
these hearings in a town close to Abidjan; one person was
killed and several wounded. According to news reports,
opposition youths got the upper hand in this latest battle
with the pro-Gbagbo Young Patriots; this may well have been a
major factor leading to the July 26 announcement of a truce
between the two sides. The UN plans to continue these
briefings on a weekly basis. The picture they present is not
good, but it is at least a start. End Summary.


2. (U) On July 25, the Ambassador and Poloff attended a
briefing for resident embassies and international
organizations by the head of the Electoral Division of the UN
Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (ONUCI) on the mobile courts
(audiences foraines -- AF) that are attempting to register
undocumented citizens and foreigners born in Cote d'Ivoire
(reftels). ONUCI has been closely monitoring the operation
of the AF's and reported that the number of AF's working has
fluctuated daily, due to attacks by Young Patriots and also
logistical problems. ONUCI provided the following
information about the number of sites that were reported to
be working each day since the AF's started July 17:

On July 17, seven out of 31 sites in the government-held zone
and two out of 19 sites in the rebel-held zone were open, for
a total of nine of the 50 sites.

On July 18, 11 sites in the government-held zone and 11 sites
in the rebel-held zone were open, for a total of 22 of the 50
sites.

On July 19, seven sites in the government-held zone and 15
sites in the rebel-held zone were open, for a total of 22
sites.

On July 20, five sites in the government-held zone and 18
sites in the rebel-held zone were open, for a total of 23
sites.

On July 21, four sites in the government-held zone and 18
sites in the rebel-held zone were open, for a total of 22
sites.

On July 22, seven sites in the government-held zone and 18
sites in the rebel-held zone were open, for a total of 25
sites.

On July 24 (July 23 was a Sunday),once again seven sites in
the government-held zone and 18 sites in the rebel-held zone
were open, for a total of 25 sites.


3. (C) ONUCI reported that fewer people were registered at
these 9-25 sites over the first week than at 7 sites in the
May pilot project (ref D),but they did not provide numbers.
ONUCI had three sets of concerns about the future
credibility of this project: most of the people being
registered are in the north, President Gbagbo continues to
challenge the legitimacy of the process by which sixteen of
the judges were appointed, and so far the National Commission
for the Supervision of Identification and the Independent
Electoral Commission have not been present to monitor the
proceedings.


4. (C) In the rebel New Forces (FN) zone, ONUCI reported few
problems. All political parties except President Gbagbo's
FPI (Ivoirian Popular Front) have sent observers to at least
some of the sites in the north. Over 1000 NF soldiers
reportedly have been registered in Korhogo. ONUCI did note
that the judges denied Ivoirian nationality to the
sister-in-law of former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara,
leader of the opposition RDR (Rally of Republicans) party.
(Note: Gbagbo supporters continue to assert that Ouattara
himself is not Ivoirian.) UN observers also noticed some
cases of duplicate applications in the northern rebel capital
of Bouake. The hearings were immediately stopped to address
the problem.

ABIDJAN 00000832 002.2 OF 002




5. (U) In the government-controlled south, the center and
west of the country have seen the most violence. The areas
surrounding San Pedro, Daloa, and Guiglo are especially
tense. Indeed, all hearings in the south are taking place in
the center-east to eastern region. Though no magistrates
have been injured yet, their rigt to circulate freely has
been repeatedly challened. In one incident, Young Patriots
looted the overnment documents and burned a vehicle of an AF
team in the center-west town of Sinfra. In Dimboro, over
one hundred Young Patriots protesting te hearings burned
down the house of the local dirctor of AF operations.


6. (C) Indeed, there wa more violence on the afternoon of
July 25, afte the ONUCI briefing, this time in the coastal
reort town of Grand Bassam near Abidjan. According o press
reports, one person was killed and severa were injured
during a fight between Young Patrits and opposition youth
groups. An Ivoirian NGOcontact whose office is right next
to where the ncident occurred told us that applicants were
awiting the arrival of the AF judges when about one hundred
Young Patriots who were bussed in from neaby towns arrived
to block the hearings. Oppositon youth succeeded in forcing
the Young Patriotsto flee, taking refuge at the headquarters
of th General Council of Grand Bassam (NOTE: The President
of the General Council is FPI). According to ewspapers
reports, the opposition youth followedthe Young Patriots to
the General Council headqurters where they attempted to
enter the building. Someone from inside reportedly shot and
killed one opposition youth and they then left the scene.
Several people were also wounded. Opposition youth later
reportedly ransacked the offices of the local FPI
headquarters and the home of the President of the General
Council, where they also burned several vehicles. This
incident, in which opposition youth appearently got the upper
hand over the Young Patriots, may well have been a major
factor leading to the July 26 announcement of a truce between
the Young Patriots and the youth groups of three out of the
four main opposition parties: the PDCI (Democratic Party of
Cote d'Ivoire),RDR (Rally of Republicans) and the MFA
(Movement of Forces for the Future). The youth group from
the fourth main opposition party, the UDPCI (Union for
Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire),declined to be a party
to the truce.


7. (C) Comment: ONUCI plans to provide these briefings on a
weekly basis; they should provide an objective and reasonably
accurate picture of how the AF's are proceeding. So far the
picture does not look good. Even under the best of
circumstances, the AF's would have been able to register only
a fraction of the some 4 million undocumented people living
in Cote d'ivoire in the two-month period they were given.
The operation will take far nore than two months but at least
the process has started. End Comment.

Hooks