The United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) (french: link=no, Opération des Nations Unies en Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI)) was a UN-

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

peacekeeping mission in

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre i ...

(Côte d'Ivoire) whose objective was "to facilitate the implementation by the Ivorian parties of the peace agreement signed by them in January 2003" (which aimed to end the Ivorian Civil War). The two main Ivorian parties were the Ivorian Government forces who controlled the south of the country, and the New Forces (former rebels), who controlled the north. The UNOCI mission aimed to control a "zone of confidence" across the centre of the country separating the two parties. The Head of Mission and Special Representative of the Secretary-General was Aïchatou Mindaoudou Souleymane from

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesBert Koenders from the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in 2013, who himself succeeded

Choi Young-jin Choi Young-jin ( Hangul: 최영진, ''Choe Yeongjin''; born 29 March 1948) is a South Korean career diplomat who served as South Korean Ambassador to the United States from 2012–2013, when he was succeeded by Ahn Ho-young. He is also the fo ...

from

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

in 2011. The mission officially ended on 30 June 2017. The approved budget for the period July 2016 – June 2017 was $153,046,000. The last

UN Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

Resolution was 2284 (2016).

Mandate

On 27 February 2004, during the

First Ivorian Civil War The First Ivorian Civil War was a civil conflict in the Ivory Coast (also known as Côte d'Ivoire) that began with a military rebellion on 19 September 2002 and ended with a peace agreement on 4 March 2007. The conflict pitted the government o ...

, the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

(UN) Security Council adopted Resolution 1528, which authorized UNOCI to take over from the UN Mission in Côte d'Ivoire (MINUCI,

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''Mission des Nations unies en Côte d'Ivoire''), an existing political mission to Ivory Coast. It had an initial authorised strength of 6,240 uniformed personnel, and was expanded by Resolution 1609 on 24 June 2005 and Resolution 1682 on 2 June 2006. In February 2006, following an appeal by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the Security Council agreed to strengthen the UNOCI forces by sending a battalion from United Nations Mission in Liberia with 800 soldiers to Ivory Coast. As of November 2006, the mission consisted of about 8,000 uniformed soldiers from a total of 41 countries. They have included, from the

Bangladeshi Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and defen ...

, 56th and 57th Battalions, East Bengal Regiment. They were deployed alongside 4,000 French soldiers of the

Opération Licorne Opération Licorne was a French Armed Forces peacekeeping operation in support of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire. The French forces had been stationed in the country since shortly after the outbreak of the Ivorian Civil War. Th ...

intervention. On 29 July 2008, the day before UNOCI's mandate was set to expire, the UN Security Council unanimously voted to extend its mandate to 31 January 2009 so that the peacekeepers could "support the organization of free, open, fair and transparent elections". A

presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The p ...

was planned for 2009, after numerous delays arising from postwar issues. UNOCI's mandate was subsequently extended several times, including on 31 October 2008, 31 January 2010, 27 May 2010, 20 December 2010, and most recently on 27 July 2011.

History

In January 2006, supporters of President

Laurent Gbagbo Koudou Laurent Gbagbo
, FPI website . ( Ivorian Popular Front withdrew from the Ivorian Civil War peace process. About 1,000 protesters invaded the UN base at Guiglo. In the aftermath of the 2010 presidential election, incumbent president Gbagbo said UNOCI troops should leave the country. However, the UN refused to do so, upon which Gbagbo's aides then said UN troops would be treated as "rebels" should they stay in the country, where they are protecting the internationally recognised though domestically disputed winner of the election. On 30 March

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1975 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1975, adopted unanimously on March 30, 2011, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), including resolutions 1572 (2004), 1893 (2009), 1911 (2010), 1924 (201 ...

was issued which, in particular, urged all Ivorian parties to respect the will of the people and the election of Alassane Ouattara as President of Ivory Coast, as recognised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and the rest of the international community and reiterated that UNOCI could use "all necessary measures" in its mandate to protect civilians under imminent threat of attack. Heavy fighting broke out on 31 March 2011 as forces of

Alassane Ouattara Alassane Dramane Ouattara (; ; born 1 January 1942) is an Ivorian politician who has been President of Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) since 2010. An economist by profession, Ouattara worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF)Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N’ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. As of the 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of overall population of the country, making it the sixth most populous city p ...

from several directions. The United Nations peacekeepers took control of Abidjan's airport when Gbagbo's forces abandoned it and United Nations forces were also reported to be carrying out protective security operations in the city. The UN peacekeeping mission said its headquarters were fired on by Gbabgo's special forces on 31 March, and returned fire in an exchange lasting about three hours. UN convoys have also come under attack by Gbagbo loyalists four times since 31 March, with three peacekeepers injured in one of the attacks. The peacekeepers had exchanged fire with Gbagbo loyalists in several parts of the city. On 4 April 2011 UN and French helicopters also began firing on pro-Gbagbo military installations, a French military spokesman said the attacks were aimed at heavy artillery and armoured vehicles. Eyewitnesses reported seeing two UN Mi-24P attack helicopters firing missiles at the Akouédo military camp in Abidjan. UN helicopters were flown by

Ukrainian Ground Forces The Ukrainian Ground Forces ( uk, Сухопу́тні військá Збрóйних сил Украї́ни), also known as the Ukrainian Army, are the land forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They ...

crews seconded to the United Nations. The attacks sparked protests by a Gbagbo spokesperson, who said that such actions were "illegal, illegitimate and unacceptable." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon defended the actions, however, saying that "the Nmission has taken this action in self-defence and to protect civilians." He noted that Gbagbo's forces had fired on United Nations patrols and attacked the organization's headquarters in Abidjan "with heavy-caliber sniper fire as well as mortars and rocket-propelled grenades", wounding four peacekeepers.

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

n Foreign Minister

Sergei Lavrov Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov (russian: Сергей Викторович Лавров, ; born 21 March 1950) is a Russian diplomat and politician who has served as the Foreign Minister of Russia since 2004. Lavrov served as the Permanent Repres ...

said that Russia intended to look into the legitimacy of the use of force by UN peacekeepers. The position of the Russian government was that any foreign interference would only lead to increasing violence. On 9 April, pro-Gbagbo forces were reported to have fired on the Golf Hotel, where Ouattara was located. The attackers reportedly used both sniper rifles and mortars; in response, UN peacekeepers fired on them. The following day, United Nations and French forces carried out further air strikes against Gbagbo's remaining heavy weapons, using Mi-24 and Aérospatiale Gazelle attack helicopters. The attack was reported to have caused heavy damage to the presidential palace. On 11 April, UN forces stormed Gbagbo's residence and arrested him. The final assault was assisted by French forces using helicopters and armoured vehicles, although the actual capture was made by Ouattara's troops. Gbagbo, his wife, son and about 50 members of his entourage were captured unharmed and were taken to the Golf Hotel, Ouattara's headquarters, where they were placed under United Nations guard.

Casualties

Up until 31 December 2016, a total of 143 UN peacekeeping troops had died. On 8 June 2012, seven Niger soldiers, eight locals and one or two Ivorian soldiers were killed in an attack near the village of

Taï Taï is a town in southwestern Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefecture of and the seat of Taï Department in Cavally Region, Montagnes District. Taï is also a commune. The town is between Taï National Park and the Cavally River. The river—whic ...

in the southwestern region of the country. As a result of the attack, thousands of villagers fled from the area. The deaths were suspected to have occurred as a result of a border-crossing ambush by a

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast� ...

n militia. Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon said he was "saddened and outraged" by the deaths. Ban urged the Ivorian government to "identify the perpetrators and hold them accountable." Ivorian Defense minister Paul Koffi Koffi said that soldiers "must go to the other side of the border to establish a security zone." Liberian Information Minister Lewis Brown said that

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had ordered the immediate deployment of forces to the border in response to the attack.

Forces

On 30 April 2012 the force comprised 10,954 total uniformed personnel, including 9,404 troops, 200 military observers, 1,350 police, 400 international civilian personnel, 758 local staff and 290 United Nations Volunteers. The force commander was Major-General Hafiz Masroor Ahmed from

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. The police commissioner was Major-General Jean Marie Bourry from France. On 31 March 2017 the mission comprised 17 uniformed personnel, including 7 troops and 10 police as well as 689 civilian personnel.

Force commanders

* Abdoulaye Fall (

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

) : April 2004 – April 2006 * Fernand Marcel Amoussou (

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...

) : April 2006 – March 2010 *

Abdul Hafiz ʻAbd al-Ḥafīẓ (ALA-LC romanization of ar, عبد الحفيظ) is a Muslim male given name, and in modern usage, surname. It is built from the Arabic words '' ʻabd'' and ''al-Ḥafīẓ'', one of the names of God in the Qur'an, which give ri ...

(

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...

) : April 2010 – March 2011 * Gnakoudè Béréna (

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...

) : March 2011 – May 2012 * Muhammad Iqbal Asi (

) : May 2012 – 19 May 2014 * Hafiz Masroor Ahmed (

) : 19 May 2014 – 30 June 2015 * Didier L'Hôte (

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

): 1 July 2015 – 30 June 2017

Sexual abuse allegations

In July 2007, the UN suspended a Moroccan contingent from UNOCI in order to investigate allegations of widespread sexual abuse of Ivorian civilians by peacekeepers. In September 2011, 16 Beninese peacekeepers, including ten commanders, were barred from UN service following an investigation into allegations that they had traded food for sex with minors in Toulépleu. A UN spokesman said that UN staff in Ivory Coast were accused of sexual abuse on 42 occasions between 2007 and mid-2011, and that sixteen of those cases allegedly involved minors.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire

History of Ivory Coast 1528 21st century in Ivory Coast Pakistan military presence in other countries Ivory Coast and the United Nations