Côte d'Ivoire

10 April 2008

More IDPs return as the peace process moves forward

Returnees and local population at
the market in Zeregbo in the Zou.
M. Montemurro/IDMC 2007.

While the political atmosphere remains generally positive and all the parties involved continue to support the implementation of the Ouagadougou agreement, the new unity government has struggled to abide by the road map for peace and meet the deadlines set out in the Accord and its supplementary agreements. Delays in the implementation of the plan were due to the lack of funding, the limited capacity of national institutions and the need to balance political and military aspirations over the sensitive issue of dismantling both pro- and anti-government militias and integrating them into the regular army. The June 2007 attack against the Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, ex-rebel leader of the Forces Nouvelles underlined the continuing fragility of the peace process. While this current peace agreement has enabled some displaced people to return or resettle, the overall situation needs to improve further, especially in the west of the country, before IDPs can voluntarily return to their areas of origin or resettle in another area of the country in safety and with dignity.