Conflict in Cote d'Ivore
Declaration of the Humanist International with respect to the conflict in Cote d'Ivore
Humanist International
To the Secretary General and Security Council of the United Nations
To the Governments of France and Cote d’Ivoire
To the Latin American, European and African Humanist Regionals
To the Media
DECLARATION OF THE HUMANIST INTERNATIONAL WITH RESPECT TO THE CONFLICT IN COTE D’IVOIRE
In front of the worsening conflict provoked between the Cote d’Ivoire government and the rebel groups, and the inopportune and disproportionate action of the French armed forces, that have grossly distorted the UN charged mission, the Humanist International denounces that the action of France through her troops has contributed to further aggravate the situation in the country, putting at risk the validity of the present regime.
In addition, the Humanist International denounces the fact that many international communication media, by spreading partial information based on the point of view of the French government, silencing the points of view of Cote d’Ivoire, are under suspicion of defending this French paternalism.
The inappropriateness of brutal retaliation by France, based on the facts that, in any case, correspond to the risks that were assigned to the French armed forces, imply a flagrant violation of the mission charged by the United Nations, which must give rise to sanctions on behalf of this international organism and the replacement of French troops by troops of other countries,.
The Humanist International notes the exemplary response of the people of Cote d’Ivoire, who have mobilised and manifested themselves in a non-violent way, not withstanding the violence of the actions launched by the intervening forces.
The Humanist International rejects expressly all action that implies the violation of the principle of self-determination of the people of Cote d’Ivoire, which has legal mechanisms to bring forward the replacement of the structures of government.
In this sense the Humanist International considers that the UN should have intervened solely to guarantee the territorial integrity of the country and peace, preparing conditions for necessary reconciliation. That is to say, it must comply with the mission that was opportunely established, only by using peace-keeping forces that belong to countries that do not have interests in Cote d’Ivoire, as is the case of France.
Such an intervention will implicate the army in a rigorous control of the Cote d’Ivoire borders, to avoid the illegal entry of arms destined to the rebel troops, an aspect that has not been looked at by the mission exercised by the French troops.
As a path to creating peace in the country, the actions of the UN must be orientated to watching over the continuity of the currently elected government, until the following elections in 2005, in which the full participation of all the sectors, groups and ethnicities in the electoral process must be guaranteed, and whose transparency must be supervised by the international organism