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Ivory Coat: Lifting the arms embargo

By on September 7, 2010
The armed conflict in Côte d’Ivoire that started in September 2002 had forced the United Nations to impose an arms embargo

to prevent Guillaume Soro’s loyalist forces to spread more desolation in the country. In deciding thus to cut the supply sources to the belligerents, the U.N has reduced consequently their striking forces, thereby forcing them to sit on the negotiating table to secure a successful outcome for both sides.

With the relative calm observed recently, the Ivorian government is calling to lift the ban on arms. This request is supported in his plea by the head of the U.N Human Rights mission, Simon Munzu, urging the international community for an embargo exception in the case of anti-riot equipments. However, the U.N is reluctant on the Laurent Gbagbo’s regime application before the effective holding of the presidential elections on October 31. No one can predict the outcome of this election in a country where the wounds have not healed completely, and where the slightest spark can ignite the powder.
The time is not ripe for rearmament, notwithstanding the arguments advanced by the State of the Ivory Coast. The urgency is rather in respecting the date of the presidential election. It remains to be done and Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, has mentioned first the need to double the efforts to resolve the remaining problems such as the selection and training of the electoral staff, the edition of the printed election sheets, the location of polling places and finally securing the Election Day events.

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