Statement of the HC on the announcement to forcefully expel the IDPs from the Catholic Mission in Duékoué

The Humanitarian Coordinator in Côte d'Ivoire reminds national and local authorities that any attempt to forcefully expel the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) currently residing at the Catholic Mission in Duékoué would be a flagrant violation of international human rights standards and in particular the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (Guiding Principles). The Humanitarian Coordinator states that the distribution of an official circular dated 27 September by the military sous-prefet of Duekoue informing the IDPs that they would be forcefully removed from the mission by the Defence and Security Forces on 1st of October 2005 constitutes a violation of human rights.

According to the Guiding Principles, national authorities have the primary duty and responsibility to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to IDPs. The authorities of Côte d'Ivoire have in particular the primary duty and responsibility to establish conditions, as well as provide the means, which allow IDPs to return voluntarily, in safety and with dignity, to their homes or places of habitual residence, or to resettle voluntarily in another part of the country.

The international humanitarian community is ready to assist as done in the past the national authorities to engage in protection and humanitarian assistance for the displaced and to facilitate any return or resettlement which is based on the requirements laid out by the Guiding Principles referred to above. I therefore invite the national authorities to seek such support and cooperation to the benefit of the internally displaced population in the Catholic mission in Duekoue.

The Humanitarian Coordinator expresses its deep concern that the Catholic mission condones such an operation.

Abdoulaye Mar Dieye
Humanitarian Coordinator