LM Report 2001

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CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Key developments since May 2000: Côte d’Ivoire became a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty on 1 December 2000. The Article 7 transparency report, due at the end of May 2001, had not yet been submitted as of July. A Côte d’Ivoire Campaign to Ban Landmines was established in December 2000.

Côte d’Ivoire signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, ratified it on 30 June 2000, and became a State Party on 1 December 2000. The Legal Advisor of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Advisory Service based in Abidjan, as well as a local NGO, the African Center for Human Security (ACHUS), made proposals on a draft national implementation text, which is being worked out by two law professors from Abidjan University.^[1]

The first transparency report required by Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 was due by 30 May 2001. In January 2001, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was in the process of preparing the report with the Permanent Representative of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Nations in New York.^[2] As of mid-July 2001, however, the report had not yet been submitted.

Côte d’Ivoire did not attend the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in September 2000^, or the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in December 2000 and May 2001. In November 2000, at the UN General Assembly, Côte d’Ivoire voted in favor of Resolution 55/33V, which calls for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty. Two representatives of Côte d’Ivoire participated in the Bamako Seminar on the Universalization and Implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty in Africa, held in Mali, on 15-16 February 2001.

Côte d’Ivoire is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Côte d’Ivoire has never produced, transferred or used antipersonnel mines. The Côte d’Ivoire army does not have any antipersonnel mines in stock, even for training purposes.^[3]

Côte d’Ivoire is not affected by landmines. There are no reports of mine victims in Côte d’Ivoire.

A number of local NGOs are informing the civilian population, military, and national authorities of the global landmine problem. In December 2000, three local NGOs—ACHUS, Jeunesse OUA, and FRANCONET—created the Côte d’Ivoire Campaign to Ban Landmines.^[4] ACHUS had previously conducted advocacy in favor of ratification of the Mine Ban Treaty.^[5] The campaign conducted radio and television broadcasts at the beginning of 2001.^[6] The campaign is also following up with the government on the draft national implementation legislation.

With the support of Handicap International Belgium (HI-B), the campaign is conducting information activities on the Mine Ban Treaty at the Zambakro peacekeeping training school. By the end of December 2000, 80 officers from 14 African countries had received training at the school.^[7] Seventy-six more officers received the training by June 2001 and five are to be trained during a planned August session.^[8] The aim of the training is to provide participants with appropriate skills and capacities to implement an adequate mine instruction module in their respective countries.^[9]

^[1] Prof Djienan Wembou, Consultant in international humanitarian law to the United Nations, and Prof Degni Segui, Consultant and Advisor to the President.
^[2] Interviews with Amb. Jean Bailly, Permanent Representative of Côte d’Ivoire to the UN in New York, previously responsible for international treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abidjan, 15 January 2001, and with Amb. Largaton Ouattara, responsible for international meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abidjan, 19 December 2000.
^[3] Interview with Col. Globo Guie, Director, Department of Defense, Abidjan, 4 December 2000.
^[4] In French, Campagne Ivoirienne pour Interdire les Mines Antipersonnel (CIIMAP).
^[5] Letter from ACHUS to ICBL, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 28 December 2000.
^[6] Initiative of ACHUS and Roger Billon, journalist on national radio. Radio broadcasts took place on 17, 19 and 21 January 2001 and television broadcasts were on 10 and 24 January and 10 February 2001.
^[7] Letter from ACHUS to ICBL, Abidjan, 28 December 2000.
^[8] Email from the Côte d’Ivoire Campaign to Ban Landmines to Landmine Monitor (HI-B), 24 July 2001.
^[9] Nicolas de Borman, “Strengthening the Landmine Ban Process in Africa, Antipersonnel mines and military training in African armies: Toward a protective approach,” HI, Abidjan, February 2001.

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