UN Integrated Regional Information Networks

January 30, 2003
Posted to the web January 30, 2003

Abidjan

The UN Secretary-General's humanitarian envoy for the crisis in Cote
d'Ivoire arrived in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, on Wednesday to assess the
impact of the crisis on Ghana, the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

Humanitarian Envoy Carolyn McAskie's mission also included reviewing the
humanitarian response in Ghana and ascertaining the level of emergency
preparedness measures currently in place, OCHA said. During her 24-hour
mission, McAskie was scheduled to meet government officials, including the
Vice-President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, international
humanitarian organisations and representatives of civil society.

Some 40,000 people are estimated to have entered Ghana from Cote d'Ivoire
since a failed coup attempt on 19 September 2002 led to a rebel war. Most
passed through Ghana on their way to Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and other
countries, OCHA said on Thursday.

"The Humanitarian Envoy hopes to raise awareness among donors of the need to
fund activities to prepare Ghana for a possible worsening of the situation
in neighbouring Cote d'Ivoire," OCHA said.

Before leaving Abidjan, McAskie, who discussed the destruction of
shantytowns by Ivorian security forces with President Laurent Gbagbo,
visited the "Washington" shantytown on 25 January and heard eyewitness
accounts of brutality there.

Residents of "Washington" later reported that on Tuesday night, their
community was again visited by armed men in uniform who accused them of
speaking to the press, set fire to nine homes, brutalized residents and
detained seven young men. A similar incident occurred on Monday night in
"Abdoulaye Diallo", another shantytown, where 50 homes were burned.

"OCHA is deeply concerned with these reports and is following the situation
closely, along with Save the Children, and other partners. OCHA again calls
on local and national authorities as well as all security forces in Abidjan
to respect national and international laws," the UN office said on Thursday.

McAskie was due to leave Accra on Thursday evening for Ouagadougou, Burkina
Faso, before travelling to Guinea, Liberia, and Mali.





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