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UPDATE: Ivory Coast: UN Radio Still On Air

February 10, 2011   ·   0 Comments

By Kwamena JAFFUL, Ghana

The United Nations radio in Ivory Coast was still on air on Thursday, a day after strongman Laurent Gbagbo ordered ONUCI-FM frequency withdrawn.

UN peacekeeping force spokesperson Hamadoun Toure on Thursday said UN mission in that part of the West African Nation Ivory Coast had not “been notified officially” of the ban and for that much ONUCI-FM will continue to broadcast its news, music and other programmes.

Reiterating, it was not viable to get clarification from the National Council of Audiovisual Communication, which announced the withdrawal of the radio’s broadcast frequencies on Wednesday.

“ONUCI-FM is an integral part of the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire. ONUCI-FM comes from a mandate,” by the UN Security Council, Toure said. “We are in the process of executing this mandate.” Adding that should Gbagbo withdraw the frequencies, the radio had “other means” to continue broadcasting in Abidjan and elsewhere in the country.

According to SAPA, one of ONUCI-FM managers has revealed that, while other radio frequencies jammed up in the ensuing crisis, ONUCI-FM continued to function, having “increased the strength of its transmitters” to counter pirate frequencies.

Forces loyal to Gbagbo on Tuesday clashed with supporters of Ouattara in Abidjan, further tumbling the likelihood of a peaceful solution to the West Africa country’s problematic political standoff can be reached in the near future.

UN Security Council last month voted to send an extra 2 000 peacekeepers to Ivory Coast, taking the total there to 11 500 but  Gbagbo, who has refused to stand down as president following November 28 polls, has demanded the departure of UN troops.

The head of West African bloc ECOWAS last week slammed attempts to compromise with Gbagbo, saying international solidarity against him had waned.

Gbagbo has accused UNOCI of supporting his rival Alassane Ouattara, recognised by virtually the entire international community as the winner of the presidential election.

Gbagbo remains in the presidential palace while Ouattara has made his base in an Abidjan hotel, partly protected by international peacekeepers.
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