ISS Seminar, Pretoria: The United Nations-French Intervention in Cote d'Ivoire: Emerging Norms of Protection of Civilians

Date: 2011-06-21

Venue: , ISS Seminar Room , , Block C , , Brooklyn Court , , Veale Street , , New Muckleneuk

RSVP:
Ms. Khunjulwa Peter
Email: [email protected]
?Fax: +27 12 460 0997

Presented by the Peace Missions Programme (PMP) and the African Conflict Prevention Programme (ACPP), Pretoria Office

In the stalemate of transitioning political power in the aftermath of the Ivorian elections in late 2010, the security situation worsened as a result of clashes between forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo who refused all appeals to hand over power to Alassane Ouattara, who was widely acclaimed as the winner by the ballot, and the legitimate president of the country. This had dire implications for the humanitarian situation of the civilian population.

Under the rubric of UN Security Council Resolution 1975 (2011) sponsored by Nigeria and France, the UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) combined forces with French forces to support the military efforts of Ouattara’s security forces in removing Gbagbo from power. The joint action was predicated on the Protection of Civilians POC) that required the destruction of Gbagbo’s heavy weapons that ostensibly gave him the capability to fuel actions on the civilian population.

The seminar will examine how the emerging norm of humanitarian interventions in the mid-1990s seems to have moved from the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) from the early part of 2000, and now focuses predominantly on the theme of Protection of Civilians. The seminar will specifically explore how the UN Resolution was interpreted to mean both the joint UN-French action, and the destruction of Gbagbo’s heavy weapons deemed to be impeding the resolution of the security and humanitarian situation in Cote d’Ivoire.

CHAIRPERSON:
Dr. David Zounmenou, Senior Researcher, ISS

KEY SPEAKER:
Brig Gen Ben F Kusi, Deputy Force Commander, UNOCI

RESPONDENTS:
Prof. Anthoni Van Nieuwkerk, CDSM/GSP&DM, Wits
Festus B. Aboagye, Senior Research Fellow, ISS

Please note that discussions will take place under ISS rules