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Côte d'Ivoire

Daily Brief on Côte d'Ivoire for Thursday 26 Apr 2007

Attachments

Highlights

- Integrated Command Center will be operational tomorrow

- Ivorian Military Chiefs attend Moroccan medal parade in Bouake

- Governor of the Moyen Cavally suggests Ivorian Forces to hold joint patrols with the Impartial Forces

Integrated Command Center

The United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire will participate on Friday in the groundbreaking operational inauguration of the Integrated Command Center (CCI) in the Ivorian capital of Yamoussoukro, along with the installation next Monday of the first mixed brigades of government and Forces Nouvelles gendarmerie in the western part of the country, UNOCI spokesman Hamadoun Toure said Thursday.

"It's our way of continuing our support of the progressive lifting of the Zone of Confidence," Mr. Toure said during the weekly press conference at UNOCI's headquarters in Abidjan. "Our withdrawal will take place in function of the arrival of the mixed Ivorian brigades."

"In the meantime, the impartial forces - UNOCI and Licorne - will continue to assure observation and surveillance missions and to support the mixed units formed by the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and the Armed Forces of the New Forces," he said.

On Monday, two mixed, 24-men brigades will be installed in the western towns of Bangolo and Zéalé. Each will include 10 members of FDS and 10 of FAFN gendarmes, along with four members of UNPOL, the UN police force.

Once the Ivorian units are able to assume control of circulation of people and goods, the impartial forces "will rearticulate their disposition, in function of the mission's needs," Mr. Toure added.