With Ivory Coast teetering between war and peace, the
United Nations has ignored threats from the beleaguered
incumbent president and extended its peace-keeping mission
by another six months. The blue helmets went in six years
ago, tasked with over-seeing a peace deal signed the previous
year.
The mission is made up of about 10,000 UN personnel, including
soldiers from some 50 countries; there are also about
900 French troops giving support. The UN’s mandate
has been repeatedly prolonged to support the goal of free
and fair elections.
Last month’s elections were meant to heal the scars
of 2002’s civil war, but instead spawned an increasingly
violent power struggle between the incumbent Laurent Gbagbo,
who is widely accepted to have lost, and Alassane Ousttara,
internationally seen as the victor.
The stand-off has led to clashes, and even attacks on
UN peacekeepers trying to keep the two sides apart. They
have vowed to stay despite Gbagbo ordering them out of
Ivory Coast. And they say they will take whatever action
is necessary to defend themselves.
But it is not clear what the UN could do if civil war
does break out. Their mandate does not specify their actions
or responsibilities in a potential internal conflict.
Privately, UN officials say their heavily outnumbered
troops would never take on the Ivory Coast army, which
so far remains loyal to Laurent Gbagbo.
