The appointment of former Labour Development Aid Minister Bert Koenders as the new UN special envoy in Ivory Coast does not come as a surprise - but he's got his work cut out for him.

Mr Koenders served three years as cabinet minister, worked for the UN and was UN special envoy charged with studying the impact of the global financial crisis on developing countries. And last year he was considered to head the UN Commission on Population and Development. But can he fill the "tall order" he's been given?

Peace and security?
Last year’s elections in Ivory Coast failed to bring long-awaited stability. Instead, President Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to admit defeat sparked violent clashes with supporters of newly elected opposition leader Alassane Ouattara. The unrest is thought to have claimed over 3,000 lives and ended only after intervention by UN peacekeeping troops. But the conflict continues to simmer, especially along the Liberian border.

The UN mission in Ivory Coast is one of the organisation’s largest. Mr Koenders says he hopes he will be able to help bring peace and security to the region.

“Things have quietened down but a lot remains to be done. The UN is now facing the huge challenge of stabilising the situation and protecting the population. That is no small task. That is why nearly 10,000 troops and police officers are there to prevent all the militias that went underground from causing problems again. It is an integrated peace mission.”

Going to the polls
The UN mission has both a military and a humanitarian side. The aim is to protect the population but also to build a disciplined army and a reliable judiciary. Another goal is to prepare parliamentary elections, which haven’t been held since 2000.

Not surprisingly, the UN Security Council recently decided to keep 2,400 additional troops there for longer than initially planned. But Mr Koenders stresses that it's still a tall order.

“I’m highly motivated to take on the challenge. Ivory Coast has a history of economic growth and positive economic forces. The same is true now. But the UN will have to do its utmost, along with the new government of President Ouattara.”

Stable region
It is possible to make western Africa a stable region again, Mr Koenders insists. The UN missions in Sierra Leone and Liberia, which also experienced bloody conflicts, were reasonably successful.

Former President Gbagbo was arrested in April but has yet to be charged. Meanwhile, President Ouattara has set up an independent commission to investigate possible human rights violations in the wake of the elections. Both sides are suspected of human rights abuses - the most notorious of which was the massacre in the western city of Duékoué where hundreds of civilians are thought to have been shot dead or hacked to death. Troops loyal to Ouattara were allegedly responsible. The International Criminal Court in The Hague is also looking into the matter.

“In this too the UN plays a key role, not only through the ICC but also by supporting the judicial authorities on the ground. The UN has to ensure that the inquiry goes forward and is handled in a fair way. Mr Gbagbo still has a large following in the country. My role will be to support the forces that are keen to cooperate and overcome the country’s deep divisions.”

Mr Koenders will move to Ivory Coast in September.

(cl/ae)

© Radio Netherlands Worldwide