SG/SM/9219
                                                                                                                        AFR/867
                                                                                                                        26 March 2004

Secretary-General Deeply Disturbed at Loss of Life in Côte d’Ivoire Demonstrations

NEW YORK, 25 March (UN Headquarters) -- The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General is deeply disturbed that, despite his personal appeals and the interventions by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders, demonstrations which were held in Abidjan on 25 March, resulted in a tragic loss of lives.  The Secretary-General urges all Ivorian parties and every citizen of Cote d’Ivoire, to put the national interest foremost, stop all confrontations, and resume, without further delay and without any preconditions, the full implementation of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement.  At a time when the UN is preparing the deployment of a peacekeeping operation, the Ivorian parties must demonstrate the political will to reject all forms of violence and engage in genuine reconciliation and mutual accommodation.

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