Policy

The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, ratified on 30 June 2000, and became a State Party on 1 December 2000.

Côte d’Ivoire has declared existing legislation under national implementation measures and has not enacted specific national legal measures to implement the treaty.[1]

Côte d’Ivoire submitted its eighth Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report on 14 May 2014.[2]

Côte d’Ivoire attended most Meetings of States Parties of the Mine Ban Treaty, including the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in December 2013, and has participated in intersessional meetings in Geneva. It attended the treaty’s Third Review Conference in Maputo in June 2014.

Côte d’Ivoire is a State Party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Côte d’Ivoire has reported that it has never used, produced, or exported antipersonnel mines.[3]

In 2011, Côte d’Ivoire experienced six months of post-election armed conflict between forces loyal to former president Laurent Gbagbo and then-president-elect Alassane Ouattara.[4] Media articles reported allegations of mine use by both Gbagbo’s and Ouattara’s forces. Each side accused the other of use of antipersonnel mines,[5] but the Monitor has found no evidence of antipersonnel mine use during the conflict.[6]

In its initial Article 7 report provided in 2004, Côte d’Ivoire stated that it possessed no stockpile of antipersonnel mines, including for training purposes.

In its 2014 transparency report, however, Côte d’Ivoire declared stocks of antipersonnel landmines found during an inventory check after the 2011 elections crisis.[7] It reported that 1,526 mines were destroyed in 2012 and another 277 mines were destroyed between 27 July 2013 and 28 February 2014.

Commitment to the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Policy

The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 4 December 2008, ratified on 12 March 2012, and the convention entered into force for the country on 1 September 2012.

In September 2013, Côte d’Ivoire informed States Parties of the government’s intent to form a commission to ensure the adoption of national legislation to enforce the provisions of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[1] Previously, in May 2013, Côte d’Ivoire stated the National Assembly was taking measures to update the country’s laws to ensure compliance with international treaties, including the ban convention.[2] Côte d’Ivoire has declared two laws under national implementation measures that regulate weapons, firearms, ammunition, and explosive substances.[3]

Côte d’Ivoire submitted an initial Article 7 transparency report for the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 29 April 2013 and provided an annual updated report on 30 April 2014.[4]

Côte d’Ivoire participated in several meetings of the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions, including the formal negotiations in Dublin in May 2008.[5]

Côte d’Ivoire has continued to engage in the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It attended the convention’s Second Meeting of States Parties in Beirut, Lebanon in September 2011 and its Fourth Meeting of States Parties in Lusaka, Zambia in September 2013. Côte d’Ivoire participated in intersessional meetings of the convention in Geneva in 2011, 2013, and April 2014. It also attended a regional meeting on the convention in Lomé, Togo in May 2013.

In September 2013, Côte d’Ivoire expressed its desire to be at the forefront of efforts to universalize the convention in west Africa and pledged to promote the convention in its role as president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).[6]

Côte d’Ivoire has voted in favor of recent UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions condemning the Syrian government’s use of cluster munitions, including Resolution 68/182 on 18 December 2013, which expressed “outrage” at Syria’s “continued widespread and systematic gross violations of human rights…including those involving the use of…cluster munitions.”[7]

Côte d’Ivoire has yet to provide its views on certain important issues related to interpretation and implementation of the convention, including the prohibition on transit, the prohibition on assistance during joint military operations with states not party that may use cluster munitions, the prohibition on foreign stockpiling of cluster munitions, the prohibition on investment in production of cluster munitions, and the retention of cluster munitions and submunitions for training and development purposes.

Côte d’Ivoire is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, and transfer

Côte d’Ivoire has stated that it has never used, produced, or transferred cluster munitions.[8] It confirmed that the country is not a producer of cluster munitions in its 2013 and 2014 Article 7 reports.[9]

Stockpiling and destruction

Côte d’Ivoire once possessed a stockpile of 68 RBK-250-275 cluster bombs containing a total of 10,200 AO-1SCh submunitions.[10] The cluster munitions were acquired between 2003 and 2005, years before the Convention on Cluster Munitions was adopted.[11]

Article 3 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions required that Côte d’Ivoire declare and destroy all stockpiled cluster munitions under its jurisdiction and control as soon as possible, but no later than 1 September 2020.

Côte d’Ivoire declared in April 2013 that the entire stockpile was destroyed between 28 January 2013 and 6 February 2013, with the assistance of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS).[12] The destruction was carried out at Lomo Nord, approximately 250 kilometers northwest of the capital of Abidjan. Côte d’Ivoire reported that national public health and environmental standards were observed in the destruction process.[13]

It has also stated that no additional stockpiles of cluster munitions have been discovered following the completion of its stockpile destruction.[14] It has confirmed that it is not retaining any cluster munitions for training or research purposes.[15] In May 2013, Côte d’Ivoire asserted that it was not retaining cluster munitions as “we don’t want to have these types of arms in our arsenal.”[16]

Contamination and Impact

Mines

Côte d’Ivoire is not known to be contaminated with mines. Allegations of use of antipersonnel mines were made by both main political factions against each other in January 2011, but it is not known whether these allegations have any basis in fact. Côte d’Ivoire’s latest Article 7 report, dated 28 May 2010, reported no mined areas under its jurisdiction or control containing antipersonnel mines.[1] An assessment mission by HALO Trust in May 2011 found no evidence of antipersonnel mines.[2]

Cluster munition remnants

Côte d’Ivoire is no longer believed to be contaminated with cluster munition remnants. It was initially listed as such after its statement in June 2011 that it was contaminated.[3] It appears, however, that this reference was to stockpiles held by the government and not to abandoned stockpiles; this is considered a stockpile destruction obligation in accordance with Article 3 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.  

Other explosive remnants of war

Côte d’Ivoire is newly contaminated with explosive remnants of war, especially following combat in late March 2011.[4] The extent of the contamination is, however, said to be limited.[5]

In addition, on 29 September 2008, an ammunition storage area belonging to the Armed Forces of the New Forces exploded near the commercial center in Bouaké, injuring seven soldiers. It is not known whether this created an unexploded ordnance problem in the vicinity.

Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Côte d’Ivoire was required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 December 2010. Côte d’Ivoire has never declared a problem with antipersonnel mines and did not request an extension to its Article 5 deadline.

Casualties

Casualties Overview

In 2013, the Monitor identified three ERW casualties in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire; while playing with a hand grenade in the Department of Boundiali, three children were injured.[1] An incident under similar circumstances was reported in 2012 when six boys were injured while playing with an ERW.[2]

The Monitor identified a total of 32 ERW casualties in Cote d’Ivoire from 1999 to 2013 (nine people were killed and another 23 injured).[3]

Support for Mine Action

In 2011, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency provided SEK4.5 million (US$746,786) to Côte d’Ivoire through the Voluntary Trust Fund (VTF) of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to conduct explosive ordnance disposal operations.[1]

UNMAS also used $638,531 for coordination and $2,055,769 for operations from the UN peacekeeping assessed budget to address an unexploded ordnance problem as a result of an explosion at an ammunition storage facility.[2]

The contributions in 2011 for Côte d’Ivoire totaled $3,441,086.