afrol News, 2 November - The UN Security Council last night voted unanimously to extend the transitional government in strife-torn Côte d'Ivoire for "a final year" and gave new powers to the country's Prime Minister to implement a peace plan and prepare for long-delayed elections. The Ivorian government's mandate had expired on Tuesday.

The resolution was in line with last month's AU decision to renew the mandate of Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny and President Laurent Gbagbo from 1 November "for a new and final transition period not exceeding 12 months," and also urges that the Prime Minister must have "all the necessary powers" to prepare for the polls.

"The Security Council, stresses that the Prime Minister shall have a mandate to implement all the provisions of the road map [for peace drawn up by a group of mediators] ... and of the agreements concluded between the Ivorian parties with a view to holding free, open, fair and transparent elections by 31 October 2007 at the latest," it states.

President Gbagbo thus loses some powers over the armed forces to Prime Minister Banny. His new powers include control over disarming, demobilising and reintegrating militias, as well as restoring state authority and other measures, the resolution says, stressing that for these tasks, Mr Banny "must have all the necessary powers ... [and] must also have the necessary authority over the Defence and Security Forces of Côte d'Ivoire."

The extended powers to the Ivorian PM had caused discussions and delays in the Security Council, as Mr Banny has never been elected to his post. He was installed as a transitional government leader, believed to have support and credibility among all conflict parties. While critics held this would mean the UN would impose regime change on an African nation, the French-sponsored and AU-based resolution finally was accepted unanimously.

The resolution by the UN body also "demands that all Ivorian parties refrain from any use of force and violence ... guarantee the security and freedom of movement of all Ivorian nationals throughout the territory," and also "cooperate fully" with the UN peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) and the French forces that support it - despite calls by President Gbagbo to withdraw these forces.

The Security Council also "underlines that it is fully prepared to impose targeted measures against persons ... who are determined to be, among other things, blocking the implementation of the peace process, including by attacking or obstructing the action of UNOCI" or others.

UNOCI has almost 9,000 uniformed personnel and is mandated to monitor the cessation of hostilities between Ivorian government and rebel forces that split the country in two in 2002, while France has deployed over 1,000 troops. Most of these are patrolling the ceasefire line between the northern and southern parts of the country.

In his most recent report on the West African country last month, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned that the "manifest lack of political will" among the main political leaders was undermining UN efforts to restore stability. Especially President Gbagbo had been criticised for failing to organise elections, while the ex-rebels were slammed for failing to disarm.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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