Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ABIDJAN70
2009-02-02 15:17:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abidjan
Cable title:  

UN FIELD COVERAGE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN COTE D'IVOIRE

Tags:  PHUM PREL IV 
pdf how-to read a cable
P 021517Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4884
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000070 


STATE FOR IO/RHS: AOSTERMEIER AND GPATEL, DRL/MLGA:
CSIBILLA, IO/PSC: DODELL, AF/RSA, AF/W

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL IV
SUBJECT: UN FIELD COVERAGE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN COTE D'IVOIRE

REF: STATE 2023


UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000070


STATE FOR IO/RHS: AOSTERMEIER AND GPATEL, DRL/MLGA:
CSIBILLA, IO/PSC: DODELL, AF/RSA, AF/W

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL IV
SUBJECT: UN FIELD COVERAGE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN COTE D'IVOIRE

REF: STATE 2023



1. (U) SUMMARY: As requested in reftel, Poloff met with
members of the National Human Rights Commission, civil
society actors, and political party human rights
representatives to assess the work of the Human Rights (HR)
Division of the United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire
(UNOCI). In general, the division enjoys good working
relationships with the Embassy, the National Human Rights
Commission, and civil society organizations. The division
has little to no contact with political party human rights
representatives. Key stakeholders suggested UNOCI could
improve the division's effectiveness by 1) issuing reports on
a more timely basis and sharing them with human rights
organizations, 2) focusing more attention and funds on
victims than on information collection, and 3) promoting
greater collaboration and capacity-building with local human
rights NGOs. END SUMMARY


RELATIONS WITH POLITICAL PARTIES
--------------

2. (SBU) On January 20 and 22, Poloff met with the
Secretaries of Human Rights for the three main political
parties: the ruling Ivoirian Popular Front (FPI),the
Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire (PDCI),and the Assembly of
Republicans (RDR). Both the FPI and PDCI representatives
said their offices have no contact with the UNOCI Human
Rights Division, although they expressed interest in
benefiting from UNOCI expertise and training assistance. The
RDR Secretary, Soungalo Coulibaly, says that the HR Division
regularly contacts him for information and has referred a few
human rights violation cases regarding RDR members to his
office. Coulibaly felt his office's relationship with UNOCI
was one-sided, with his office furnishing information and
taking on cases the HR division referred to him, with no
support in return. He suggested that UNOCI focus more time,
money, and attention on the protection of victims, rather
than solely collecting information for reports.


RELATIONS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY
--------------

3. (U) On January 21, Poloff solicited opinions from the
three major Ivoirian human rights organizations in Cote
d'Ivoire: Action for the Protection of Human Rights (APDH),
the Ivoirian Human Rights League (LIDHO),and the Ivoirian
Movement for Human Rights (MIDH). Poloff also met with the
president of the Action Network for Ivoirian Human Rights
(RAIDH),an organization that represents a coalition of human

rights NGOs, including APDH, LIDHO, and MIDH.


4. (SBU) With the exception of RAIDH, all three
organizations told Poloff that they have enjoyed good working
relationships with the UNOCI Human Rights Division. UNOCI
regularly invites them to participate in activities and has
worked in association with their organizations to offer
advice and training -- both in Abidjan and in the interior of
the country, including in zones under the control of the New
Forces (FN). They explained that UNOCI also regularly
provides support by sending representatives to participate in
their activities or serve as trainers and speakers.


5. (SBU) RAIDH President Sindou Bamba said his
organization's working relationship with UNOCI was initially
strained, although it has improved in the last year. Bamba
says that when RAIDH member organizations (including
fledgling human rights NGOs in the interior of the country)
referred cases to the HR Division, it did not intervene or
take action. For example, Bamba claimed that in 2008, when
NGOs informed the HR Division of abuses against pro-Zakaria
members of the FN who were being detained, the HR Division
did not intervene to stop these abuses and protect victims.
Bamba believes that UNOCI intervention can make a difference:
he cited a November 2008 case in which FN soldiers severely
beat teachers who were on strike. After the UNOCI military
commander intervened, FN authorities agreed to provide the
teachers with medical treatment for their injuries. Bamba
would also like to see UNOCI revive its monthly human rights
meeting which gathered key stakeholders together to discuss
relevant issues and cases. (Note: Bamba claims the HR
Division did away with this meeting because it had become too
politicized.)


6. (SBU) All four human rights organizations expressed the
need for more jointly sponsored activities with UNOCI and
additional financial and material support. Project funding
was a sore point for several organizations. MIDH President
Drissa Traore expressed frustration that UNOCI did not
respond or comment on projects they submitted for funding.
RAIDH President Sindou Bamba agreed, noting that he has the
impression that UNOCI requests project proposals simply to
get new ideas for its own human rights activities without
truly seeking the participation of the local NGOs.

RELATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL HR COMMISSION
--------------

7. (U) Poloff met with National Human Rights Commission
President Victorine Wodie on January 22. She said that the
UNOCI HR Division was supportive during the initial
establishment and creation of the commission, but its level
of involvement has diminished since the commission was
launched in July 2008. Promises by the HR Division to
provide funds for victims of rape and mistreatment, for
example, have gone unfulfilled. Wodie suggested that more
intensive collaboration with the HR Division, including
sharing of UNOCI reports, training for human rights
commissioners, and technical assistance with integrating the
fledgling commission into international human rights networks
would be appreciated.


RELATIONS WITH THE EMBASSY
--------------

8. (U) In general, the Embassy enjoys a good working level
relationship with the HR Division. With field offices around
the country, UNOCI's regional offices are often the only
sources of human rights reporting in many regions of Cote
d'Ivoire. Post relies heavily on reports from these regional
offices for up-to-date information on human rights abuses in
parts of the country where EmbOffs are not present and/or
cannot easily visit. However, HR Division reports are not
issued in a timely manner. In December 2008, for example,
the Embassy received the final, official report on human
rights violations from the January to June 2007 reporting
period. After extensive lobbying, the Embassy now receives
monthly human rights reports from UNOCI. However, there is a
2 to 3 month time lag on reporting, so reports are old news
by the time the Embassy receives them. Given all the time
spent on preparing these reports, the reports are not
distributed to any of the key human rights actors working in
Cote d'Ivoire.


9. (U) Aside from reporting, the Embassy's impression is
that the HR Division does a lot with the resources and
personnel it has. The division is continually engaged in
human rights sensitization campaigns in the interior of the
country and has intervened with positive results in numerous
cases of abuse.


NESBITT