France began pushing today to win passage of a UN resolution that seeks an arms embargo and other penalties against the Ivory Coast, where unrest swept the main city after government forces killed nine French peacekeepers and an American civilian.
In addition to the weapons ban, the draft Security Council resolution, obtained by Reuters, calls for travel and a freeze on "funds and other financial assets" against individuals in the Ivory Coast, the world's largest cocoa producer.
Exceptions would be made for humanitarian needs. The list of targeted individuals, to be decided later by a Security Council panel, would include those who pose a threat "to peace and national reconciliation process" as well as "any other person determined as responsible for serious violations of human rights," the text says.
France's UN ambassador, Mr Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, hopes for a vote early this week, The resolution, which was revised after negotiations yesterday among junior diplomats, also asks all countries to report to the council within 60 days after the resolution is adopted on actions they had taken to implement the sanctions.
The measures would be in force for 12 months, subject to renewal. Secretary-General Kofi Annan would report to the council on the Ivory Coast by March 15th.
The Security Council convened in an emergency session on Saturday after Ivorian government aircraft bombed the rebel stronghold of Bouake, killing nine French soldiers and an American relief worker. France immediately counterattacked, destroying most of the West African country's small air force.
On Monday, French troops fired into the air to disperse protesters gathered to protect President Laurent Gbagbo, as unrest swept Abidjan, the main city of the former French colony. The 15-nation Council has condemned the killings of the French soldiers and confirmed that the 10,000 UN and French peacekeepers were authorized "to prevent any hostile action." Since then France sent hundreds more troops to the Ivory Coast's commercial center of Abidjan after government loyalists went on a rampage against homes and business of French citizens in response to France's retaliation.
Today, French troops fired into the air to disperse protesters gathered to protect Gbagbo, as unrest swept Abidjan, the main city of the former French colony. Ivory Coast fell into chaos in September 2000 when rebels based in the Muslim-dominated north accused the government of discrimination.
The country is now split into two with the government in the south and the rebels in the north. French troops, now numbering about 5,000 soldiers, were monitoring a buffer zone along between the north and south with some 6,200 United Nations peacekeepers.