Allow me at the outset to congratulate the Secretary-General,
Mr. Ban Ki-moon, on the quality of the intensive work
done in such a short period of time at the head of the
United Nations. I would like to congratulate him
sincerely and to encourage him on his correct
assessment of the world’s present problems.
This is the first time that I am taking part in the
General Assembly in my seven years at the head of
Cote d'Ivoire. As members know, I am fully committed
to resolving the crisis gripping my country and which
has so mobilized the international community over the
past five years. My presence, today, here in New York,
at this rostrum, is the best proof of the climate of calm
prevailing in Cote d'Ivoire today, following the signing
of the Ouagadougou political agreement, which was
the outcome of direct dialogue between the State and
the former rebels.
That agreement was endorsed by the Security
Council which unanimously adopted resolution 1765
(2007). On behalf of the people of Cote d'Ivoire, I
wish to thank and to greet all who were involved in
these positive developments: the countries members of
the Security Council, the countries members of the
African Union Peace and Security Council, all the
countries of the African Union and the countries
members of the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS). In particular, I thank the heads of
State whose personal involvement was key in resolving
the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire: President Thabo Mbeki,
mediator in the Ivorian crisis appointed by the African
Union, and President Blaise Compaoré, facilitator for
the direct inter-Ivorian dialogue, as current Chairman
of ECOWAS.
We have noted that despite the international
community’s efforts over the previous four years, the
peace process was blocked and the country was at a
standstill. That is why, on 19 December 2006, I
suggested to my compatriots a way out of the crisis,
focusing on five points: first, the establishment of
direct dialogue with the rebels, aimed at disarmament
and the reunification of the country; secondly, the
removal of the Zone of Confidence; thirdly, the
establishment of a national service programme;
fourthly, a general amnesty; and finally, the
establishment of an assistance programme for the
return of persons displaced by the war. That plan was
based on the experience of solutions considered up
until then, but with a completely different approach, in
order to ensure complete ownership of the peace
process by the Ivorians themselves.
I thus took up direct dialogue with the rebels. Our
discussions, through the facilitation of President Blaise
Compaoré, took place in neighbouring Burkina Faso,
the West African country with the closest historical and
sociological ties with Cote d'Ivoire. Those discussions
led to the signing on 4 March 2007 of the
Ouagadougou political agreement.
In accordance with that agreement, a new
Government was established. It is headed by the
former rebel leader, Mr. Guillaume Soro. With this
Government, we have made considerable progress in a
short period of time. An integrated command centre,
bringing together soldiers from the national armed
forces and from the former rebel forces, was
established on 16 March 2007. Its mission is to set up a
joint force entrusted with ensuring security and the free
movement of individuals and goods throughout the
national territory. A general amnesty order was issued
on 11 April 2007. Disarmament effectively began with
the 30 July 2007 “peace bonfire” in Bouaké. The
redeployment of the administration and reinstatement
of magistrates throughout the territory has now taken
place. A plan for the return of those displaced by the
war has been put in place. Mobile courts to identify
members of the population and update electoral lists
began yesterday, Tuesday, 25 September 2007. We
have made major strides towards peace since the
Ouagadougou peace agreement.
The lesson I draw from this experience of direct
dialogue between State authorities and the rebels has
led me to invite the international community to favour
local solutions in the settlement of conflicts. The
United Nations in New York should make
arrangements to monitor the implementation of
solutions adopted by parties to a conflict.
Cote d'Ivoire will emerge from crisis. Côte
d’Ivoire is emerging from crisis. Today more than ever,
it needs the support of the international community to
build peace and stability within its borders and in the
West African subregion.
In this context, and given the climate of calm
prevailing in the country, I would like the United
Nations to revise downward the security rating. Phase
III no longer reflects reality.
In the same spirit, with the implementation of the
Ouagadougou agreement, today Cote d'Ivoire is
reunified and it is now up to the State to restore law
and order throughout the territory. The agreement
provides explicitly that in the redeployment of
administrators, the forces of law and order are to take
part in providing protection for administrative staff, as
well as for the citizen population. I appeal here for the
partial lifting of the weapons embargo so that the
Ivorian State can carry out its task of protecting
persons and goods.
Moreover, and in the present context of national
reconciliation, Ivorians remain concerned that
individual sanctions are still imposed on some of our
compatriots. Since the Ouagadougou Agreement, those
young people have put heart and soul into the search
for peace. For that reason I am formally asking the
United Nations, within the spirit and letter of the
Ouagadougou political Agreement (S/2007/144)
endorsed by resolution 1765 (2007) to lift the sanctions
imposed on Charles Blé Goudé, Eugène Djué and
Martin Kouakou Fofie.
Cote d'Ivoire is a sound country and our
management of public finance has made it possible for
the Ivorian State to function and to ensure a minimum
standard of living for its people. But the ongoing crisis
has ultimately led to a reduction in the financial
resources available to the State and has disrupted its
financial stability.
Today I am asking for assistance to help finance
the actions related directly to resolving the crisis,
namely: the civil service, mobile courts, general
elections, the return of those displaced by war and in
general, peacebuilding.
But beyond the short and medium-term actions,
Cote d'Ivoire requires international aid to strengthen
the basis for a more robust economic recovery in the
long-term. We must rebuild and strengthen our
community infrastructures. Our schools and health
centres were damaged during the war. We must rebuild
and strengthen our economic infrastructures roads,
railways, electric and water supply stations were
severely strained by the crisis.
All observers and all actors in the crisis in Côte
d’Ivoire agree that elections are the goal of the crisis
resolution process in Cote d'Ivoire. The holding of
transparent, free elections that are open to all is not
only a requirement under my political culture, but is,
above all a democratic requirement. Elections are proof
of good governance. I intend to make my country
Cote d'Ivoire a modern State that is, a State in
which people appoint their leaders through just and
transparent elections.
Democratic elections are a requirement for my
country in order to modernize our political life.
Elections are also required for our economic recovery.
We absolutely must reorganize the coming elections in
Cote d'Ivoire and hold them successfully in order to
restore confidence among economic actors in the
country and abroad.
Elections are a requirement as well for stability in
our country and in the subregion. We must organize
elections quickly to confer political legitimacy on
those who are exercising State power in order to
stabilize the society in Cote d'Ivoire and ensure
economic recovery in West Africa. Finally, elections
are a constitutional imperative. According to our
constitution, when exceptional circumstances make it
impossible to hold elections as was the case before
the country was reunified all institutions within the
Republic function solely with a view to holding
elections. For that reason, the elections must be
reorganized quickly so that we can move beyond this
constitutional, but exceptional situation.
For all those reasons, from this rostrum at the
United Nations I invite all friends of Cote d'Ivoire
throughout the world, but also and above all the
politicians, both men and women, Ivorians and all
peoples living in Cote d'Ivoire to become involved in
the peace process. I invite them to become fully
invested in the electoral process underway and to
contribute, each person according to his or her ability,
to national reconciliation and to peacebuilding.