- UNOCI conducts an aircraft accident response exercise

- UNOCI patrol blocked by a group of young people in Guiglo

- Increased banditry in the Man area

Aviation Safety

The United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) today conducted an Aircraft Accident Emergency Response (ERP) exercise at UNOCI's terminal at the airport of Abidjan. Over sixty people, including military, UNPOL, medical and other civilian staff, as well Ivorian military officials, and national and international aviation personnel took part in the drill, whose main objectives were to evaluate and train UNOCI personnel in emergency response, check coordination with Abidjan airport authorities and review the UNOCI Emergency Response Plan.

Each peacekeeping mission is required to conduct ERP exercises.

Denial of freedom of Movement

On 27 August, a BENINBAT night patrol was blocked by a group of young people manning a check point in the Adjamé neighbourhood in Guiglo. They said that they were taking care of the security of their neighbourhood and asked the patrol to leave the area. The chief of the patrol told them that UNOCI was free to move everywhere, but the young men replied that they had been ordered by the Guiglo Police Chief to prevent anybody from entering their zone at night, even UNOCI. To avoid a clash, the patrol left the area.

Security

The Mixed Brigade of Bangolo yesterday apprehended 30 alleged miscreants for investigation. The suspects were handed over to gendarmes by the town's residents. All the apprehended persons, who were found in possession of weapons, are from Bangolo and the neighbouring village of Gouegui.

The Weekly Coordination Meeting held yesterday in Man focused on security issues such as the increase in thefts and banditry in the area. The meeting, chaired by the local zone commander (Comzone) of the Armed Forces of Forces Nouvelles (FAFN), was attended by representatives of BANBAT, Licorne, Milobs and UNPOL.

Further investigations by Milobs and UNPOL into the killing of two people in the village of Semoukro, 26 km from Bouake, reached an impasse on Monday. Residents insisted that only the village chief could speak about the knifing deaths, reported on Saturday. The bodies of the two individuals - who appear to have been in their '30s -- remain unidentified.

Human Rights

Following the intervention of the Regional Human Rights Office in Daloa, the 18 members of the transporters' union arrested on 15 August were released on 23 August. The union's members were arrested for preventing a bus from entering Daloa city.

On 25 August, the Regional Human Rights Office in Duékoué attended the ceremony for the voluntarily return of 250 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the villages of Bédy Goazon, Douédy, Guézon, Zébly, Ginkin and Kaadé (located in the region of Guiglo) organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

On 24 August, the San Pedro Regional Human Rights Office held a meeting with representative of the Ministère de la Famille, des Femmes et des Enfants and the UNOCI Child Protection unit on the organization of an awareness raising campaign on women and children's rights targeting the population.