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The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that the United Nations (UN) should play an integral role in trying to find a solution to the crisis in Cote d’Ivoire. The UN was originally tasked with enforcing the 2003 peace agreement in Cote d’Ivoire and was responsible for overseeing last year’s election. As such, they should be involved in ensuring that the final stage of their undertaking is achieved. That is, the installation of the legitimate, democratically elected president of Cote d’Ivoire, Alessane Outtara. As a member of the Security Council and a key player in the African Union’s (AU) attempts at mediation, South Africa should be at the forefront of bringing the UN into the process.

The first step should be for the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, to instruct our ambassador on the Security Council to ask for the UN’s representation on the AU’s High-Level Panel dealing with Cote d’Ivoire. The DA has noted UN Security Council Resolution 1967 of 2011, extending the mandate of the UN in Cote d’Ivoire. At the council’s next briefing, South Africa should propose the extension of that resolution to allow the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Cote d’Ivoire, Choi Young-Jin, to petition the AU for UN representation on the panel. This will ensure the completion of the UN mandate.

I shall be writing to the minister today in this regard.

We note that the panel delivered its first communication at the beginning of this week. We further note that it is comprised of Mauritania, Chad, Tanzania, Burkina Faso and South Africa as well as the heads of both the AU Commission and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission. We commend the union for making the Cote d’Ivoire crisis a priority. However, we are hesitant that the panel will be seeking ‘political solutions’ to the situation that would suppress the majority vote of a democratic election.

It should be remembered that the AU has tried these types of mediation efforts before, both in Cote d’Ivoire and elsewhere. Elsewhere, the fruit of that intervention in both Kenya and Zimbabwe has been the imposition of political leaders who actually lost democratic elections in those countries.

In Cote d’Ivoire, mediation efforts have been led by a number of figures, including former president Thabo Mbeki and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga. They have failed, largely because of the intransigent position of former president Laurent Gbagbo, who refuses to relinquish power. Mr. Gbagbo has only further entrenched his position.

The work of the panel will be crucial in trying to ensure a peaceful transition to the legitimate presidency of Alessane Outtara. However, we believe that in trying to consolidate democracy in Cote d’Ivoire, it is only proper for a representative from the UN to be involved.

The UN was initially charged to assist with the 2010 election in Cote d’Ivoire. Its primary responsibility was ensuring that the terms of the 2003 Peace Agreement halting the civil war in that country were respected. UNOCI, the UN’s operation in Cote d’Ivoire, and the Secretary General’s Special Representative were among the lead actors in facilitating the process.

As such, it is only right that the UN be involved in the conclusion of the peace process begun several years ago, which would entail recognizing the legitimate winner of the democratic election. In October last year, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane said:

‘In this regard, we will continue our efforts aimed at bringing greater alignment to the work of the Security Council and that of the African Union, especially the AU Peace and Security Council of which South Africa is currently a member.’

This is the time for Minister Nkoana-Mashabane to demonstrate that she is committed to those efforts. It is time to prove the Zuma administration’s commitment to action and demonstrate the continental leadership that our Security Council position affords us.