ACTING HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS TO ESTABLISH INDEPENDENT COMMISSION OF INQUIRY FOR CÔTE D'IVOIRE

22 June 2004


Acting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan has set up an Independent Commission of Inquiry for Cote d'Ivoire to establish the facts and responsibilities for the serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law which have occurred in Cote d'Ivoire since 19 September 2002. The Linas-Marcoussis Agreement called for the establishment of the investigative panel.

The Commission will take into account the sub-regional dimension of the events being looked at and visit relevant countries neighboring Côte d’Ivoire, if necessary. The mission is set to last initially for three months.

The members of the Commission are Aref Mohamed Aref (Djibouti), a lawyer; Gérard Balanda (Democratic Republic of the Congo), a judge; Fatima Mbaye(Mauritania), lawyer, Radhia Nazraoui, lawyer (Tunisia) and Justice Almiro Rodrigez (Portugal), lawyer and former judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. They are expected to begin their work shortly.

At the end of its work the Commission will submit a report to the acting High Commissioner, who will then transmit it to the Secretary General thereafter.

Earlier this year the acting High Commissioner established, at the request of the Secretary-General, an inquiry panel that looked at alleged atrocities committed during demonstrations in Abidjan on 25 and 26 March 2004.