Statement / by the President of the Security Council

Statement [made on behalf of the Security Council, at the 4977th meeting, 25 May 2004, in connection with the Council's consideration of the item entitled "The situation in Côte d'Ivoire"]

Reiterates its grave concern at the events which occurred in on Côte d'Ivoire at the end of Mar. and at the current impasse in the peace process defined in the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement; reaffirms the individual responsibility of each of the Ivorian actors to ensure the full implementation of the Agreement; reiterates its complete readiness to take any necessary further steps, against individuals who block the full implementation of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement; strongly condemns the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed in Côte d'Ivoire and expresses its determination to ensure that those responsible for all these violations are identified and that the Ivorian Government brings them to justice; reaffirms the urgency of disbanding militias and armed groups and proceeding with operations to regroup the opposing forces in order to permit the start of disarmament and demobilization which must precede their reintegration into the regular army or civilian life; firmly rejects the assertion that disarmament can be delayed until after the 2005 elections and calls on all parties to move immediately to begin this process.

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