Africa News

UN Security Council maintains arms embargo in Ivory Coast

Apr 28, 2011, 16:20 GMT

New York - The UN Security Council on Thursday decided to maintain for another year the arms embargo it imposed on Ivory Coast to curb the illegal flow of weapons into the troubled West African nation.

The arms embargo will continue until April 2012, and other measures including a freeze of assets and travel ban ordered against some individuals of the regime of former president Laurent Gbagbo will remain in effect.

The Security Council said in a resolution adopted unanimously that the UN mission in Ivory Coast must continue to monitor and assist the new government in Abidjan to disarm illegally armed combatants, collect those weapons and fight the illicit traffic of small arms and weapons.

Ggagbo surrendered on April 10 to the new government of President Alassane Ouattara, who won the elections held in November. The surrender ended months of fighting between the two sides, which severely disrupted the Ivory Coast's political and economic conditions.

The council warned against the continued presence of mercenaries in Ivory Coast and called for UN missions in that country and in Liberia to work with both governments to deal with the issue.

Ouattara's ambassador to the UN in New York, Youssoufou Bamba, said the arms embargo and sanctions against the former regime would help the new government's efforts to restore order and security.

'We cannot let those efforts become compromised by the arms smuggling,' Bamba said. 'A normal life has returned, while the government is taking are of urgent daily matters in Abidjan.'

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