UN worried about Cote d'Ivoire's security situation

English.news.cn 2011-03-04

ABIDJAN, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (ONUCI) declared on Thursday that it was "very worried" about the West African country's security situation.

This expression of fear over the security situation came after a week of clashes in which 50 people were killed, bringing the toll to 365 since the outbreak of violence in mid-December.

"In just one week, 50 people have lost their lives and thus brought the number of those who have been killed since mid- December 2010 to 365," said ONUCI's deputy director for the division of human rights affairs, Guillaume Ngefa.

In the past week, confrontations between security forces loyal to the country's incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and the ex- rebel New Forces (FN), which supports his rival Alassane Ouattara, were witnessed in the economic capital Abidjan, the major city Yamoussoukro and in some areas in the west of the country.

In Abidjan's Abobo district alone, Ngefa said, fighting between the two groups has left 26 people dead, hundreds of civilians injured and more than 200,000 people displaced.

In the same district On Thursday, a women march organized by Ouattara's supporters was violently repressed by forces loyal to Gbagbo. ONUCI said seven of the protesting women were killed.

Ngefa said ONUCI was not only worried over the armed confrontations, but concerned about the "humanitarian difficulties for the entire families who have been locked up in public places and churches without water and electricity supply."

ONUCI is seeking to open a "humanitarian corridor," so as to access those who need its support and remove dead bodies for burial to avoid outbreaks of disease in Abobo, according to the official.

Editor: Wang Yan

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