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Police Reform – 2007

The Ouagadougou Political Agreement had a provision for restructuring and reorganizing two armed forces into one Defence and Security Forces. The accord calls for reform in the security sector including in the police force. Article 6.2.3 of the accord calls for the creation of joint units comprised of equal numbers of FAFN and FDS members with the responsibility for conducting police and security missions in the zone of confidence.

The United Nations Operation in C™te d’Ivoire (UNOCI) was responsible for maintaining law and order in the zone of confidence, which was supposed to be dismantled. UNOCI’s involvement was replaced by the deployment of mixed police units comprised of combatants from both sides. The Integrated Command Centre, comprised of combatants from both sides, was established with a presidential decree on 16 March 2007.¹ After the establishment of CCI, six joint police units comprised of personnel from Forces nouvelles and Defence and Security Forces (FDS) were deployed in six different places by 15 September.²

When two chiefs of staff met on 14 and 17 December 2007 in the presence of the Force Commanders of UNOCI, the French Licorne force, and the coordinator of the National Programme for Reintegration and Community Rehabilitation (NPRRC), it was agreed that 4,000 Forces nouvelles combatants would be integrated into the national police and gendarmerie.³ However, no Forces nouvelles combatants were absorbed or integrated in the police force as of December 2007.

1. “Ivory Coast Takes Step to Unify Military Forces,” New York Times, March 17, 2007; also see “Secretary General’s Report to the Security Council,” United Nations (S/2007/593), October 1, 2007).
2. “Secretary General’s Report to the Security Council,” United Nations (S/2007/593), October 1, 2007.
3. “Secretary General’s Report to the Security Council,” United Nations (S/2008/1), January 2, 2008.