VZCZCXRO2668
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHAB #0832/01 2081700
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 271700Z JUL 06 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1666
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000832 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC KPKO IV
SUBJECT: UN CLOSELY FOLLOWING IDENTIFICATION PROCESS 
 
REF: A. ABIDJAN 810 
     ¶B. ABIDJAN 804 
     ¶C. ABIDJAN 778 
     ¶D. ABIDJAN 613 
 
ABIDJAN 00000832  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Poloff Phaedra Gwyn for reasons 1.4 b&d 
 
¶1. (C) Summary.  The United Nations is monitoring the 
progress of the registration of undocumented Ivoirians, in 
preparation for elections, and gave a briefing for embassies 
and international organizations July 25.  Reportedly, almost 
all of the teams sent into rebel-held areas in the north are 
operating without hindrance, while only a handful of the 
teams in government-held areas are functioning.  The UN is 
concerned about the low numbers of Ivoirians being documented 
and the various legal challenges that could be presented to 
the registrations that the teams are managing to complete. 
Shortly after the meeting there was renewed violence over 
these hearings in a town close to Abidjan; one person was 
killed and several wounded.  According to news reports, 
opposition youths got the upper hand in this latest battle 
with the pro-Gbagbo Young Patriots; this may well have been a 
major factor leading to the July 26 announcement of a truce 
between the two sides.  The UN plans to continue these 
briefings on a weekly basis.  The picture they present is not 
good, but it is at least a start.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) On July 25, the Ambassador and Poloff attended a 
briefing for resident embassies and international 
organizations by the head of the Electoral Division of the UN 
Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (ONUCI) on the mobile courts 
(audiences foraines -- AF) that are attempting to register 
undocumented citizens and foreigners born in Cote d'Ivoire 
(reftels).  ONUCI has been closely monitoring the operation 
of the AF's and reported that the number of AF's working has 
fluctuated daily, due to attacks by Young Patriots and also 
logistical problems.  ONUCI provided the following 
information about the number of sites that were reported to 
be working each day since the AF's started July 17: 
 
On July 17, seven out of 31 sites in the government-held zone 
and two out of 19 sites in the rebel-held zone were open, for 
a total of nine of the 50 sites. 
 
On July 18, 11 sites in the government-held zone and 11 sites 
in the rebel-held zone were open, for a total of 22 of the 50 
sites. 
 
On July 19, seven sites in the government-held zone and 15 
sites in the rebel-held zone were open, for a total of 22 
sites. 
 
On July 20, five sites in the government-held zone and 18 
sites in the rebel-held zone were open, for a total of 23 
sites. 
 
On July 21, four sites in the government-held zone and 18 
sites in the rebel-held zone were open, for a total of 22 
sites. 
 
On July 22, seven sites in the government-held zone and 18 
sites in the rebel-held zone were open, for a total of 25 
sites. 
 
On July 24 (July 23 was a Sunday), once again seven sites in 
the government-held zone and 18 sites in the rebel-held zone 
were open, for a total of 25 sites. 
 
¶3.  (C) ONUCI reported that fewer people were registered at 
these 9-25 sites over the first week than at 7 sites in the 
May pilot project (ref D), but they did not provide numbers. 
 ONUCI had three sets of concerns about the future 
credibility of this project: most of the people being 
registered are in the north, President Gbagbo continues to 
challenge the legitimacy of the process by which sixteen of 
the judges were appointed, and so far the National Commission 
for the Supervision of Identification and the Independent 
Electoral Commission have not been present to monitor the 
proceedings. 
 
¶4. (C) In the rebel New Forces (FN) zone, ONUCI reported few 
problems.  All political parties except President Gbagbo's 
FPI (Ivoirian Popular Front) have sent observers to at least 
some of the sites in the north.  Over 1000 NF soldiers 
reportedly have been registered in Korhogo.  ONUCI did note 
that the judges denied Ivoirian nationality to the 
sister-in-law of former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, 
leader of the opposition RDR (Rally of Republicans) party. 
(Note: Gbagbo supporters continue to assert that Ouattara 
himself is not Ivoirian.)   UN observers also noticed some 
cases of duplicate applications in the northern rebel capital 
of Bouake.  The hearings were immediately stopped to address 
the problem. 
 
ABIDJAN 00000832  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶5. (U) In the government-controlled south, the center and 
west of the country have seen the most violence.  The areas 
surrounding San Pedro, Daloa, and Guiglo are especially 
tense.  Indeed, all hearings in the south are taking place in 
the center-east to eastern region.  Though no magistrates 
have been injured yet, their rigt to circulate freely has 
been repeatedly challened.  In one incident, Young Patriots 
looted the overnment documents and burned a vehicle of an AF 
team in the center-west town of Sinfra.  In Dimboro, over 
one hundred Young Patriots protesting te hearings burned 
down the house of the local dirctor of AF operations. 
 
¶6.  (C) Indeed, there wa more violence on the afternoon of 
July 25, afte the ONUCI briefing, this time in the coastal 
reort town of Grand Bassam near Abidjan.  According o press 
reports, one person was killed and severa were injured 
during a fight between Young Patrits and opposition youth 
groups.  An Ivoirian NGOcontact whose office is right next 
to where the ncident occurred told us that applicants were 
awiting the arrival of the AF judges when about one hundred 
Young Patriots who were bussed in from neaby towns arrived 
to block the hearings.  Oppositon youth succeeded in forcing 
the Young Patriotsto flee, taking refuge at the headquarters 
of th General Council of Grand Bassam (NOTE: The President 
of the General Council is FPI).  According to ewspapers 
reports, the opposition youth followedthe Young Patriots to 
the General Council headqurters where they attempted to 
enter the building.  Someone from inside reportedly shot and 
killed one opposition youth and they then left the scene. 
Several people were also wounded.  Opposition youth later 
reportedly ransacked the offices of the local FPI 
headquarters and the home of the President of the General 
Council, where they also burned several vehicles.  This 
incident, in which opposition youth appearently got the upper 
hand over the Young Patriots, may well have been a major 
factor leading to the July 26 announcement of a truce between 
the Young Patriots and the youth groups of three out of the 
four main opposition parties: the PDCI (Democratic Party of 
Cote d'Ivoire), RDR (Rally of Republicans) and the MFA 
(Movement of Forces for the Future).  The youth group from 
the fourth main opposition party, the UDPCI (Union for 
Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire), declined to be a party 
to the truce. 
 
¶7.  (C) Comment:  ONUCI plans to provide these briefings on a 
weekly basis; they should provide an objective and reasonably 
accurate picture of how the AF's are proceeding.  So far the 
picture does not look good.  Even under the best of 
circumstances, the AF's would have been able to register only 
a fraction of the some 4 million undocumented people living 
in Cote d'ivoire in the two-month period they were given. 
The operation will take far nore than two months but at least 
the process has started.  End Comment. 
 
Hooks