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Disarmament – 2007

In the Ouagadougou Political Agreement parties agreed to the national Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration program. The parties committed to various agreements negotiated before the Ouagadougou Political Agreement, including the 17 previously identified and agreed sites for the assembly of the combatants. The accord also provided for the establishment of the Integrated Command Centre for carrying out the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of ex-combatants.

The Integrated Command Centre (CCI) was established after the presidential decree of 16 March 2007 and was tasked with carrying out the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of ex-combatants.¹ Nevertheless, the formal establishment of the CCI took place a month later on 16 April.²

The disarmament process started when President Gbagbo officially launched the symbolic destruction ceremony in Guiglo on 19 May. During the ceremony, militia leaders handed over 555 weapons, which were then handed over to the United Nations Operation in C™te d’Ivoire (UNOCI).³ However, disarmament could not be achieved due to the lack of clarity on reintegration incentives for the ex-combatants.⁴ Parties signed a third supplementary agreement to expedite the DDR process on 7 December 2007.[fn]”Fifteenth progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in C™te dÕIvoire,” United Nations Security Council (S/2008/1), January 2, 2008.[/efn_note] The slower disarmament process, however, may have been the result of the insistence of Forces Nouvelles on having a simplified process for its combatants to join the army without disarming.⁵

1. “Ivory Coast Takes Step to Unify Military Forces,” New York Times, March 17, 2007; “Fourteenth progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in C™te dÕIvoire,” United Nations Security Council (S/2007/ 593), October 1, 2007.
2. “Fourteenth progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in C™te dÕIvoire,” United Nations Security Council (S/2007/ 593), October 1, 2007.
3. “Fourteenth progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in C™te dÕIvoire,” United Nations Security Council (S/2007/ 593), October 1, 2007.
4. “Fifteenth progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in C™te dÕIvoire,” United Nations Security Council (S/2008/1), January 2, 2008.
5. “Fourteenth progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in C™te dÕIvoire,” United Nations Security Council (S/2007/ 593), October 1, 2007.