A/HRC/19/72 forces have been redeployed to places in the west such as Bloléquin and Zouan-Hounien, to which large numbers of people are returning. In response to repeated abuses perpetrated against inhabitants by FRCI troops, the President has taken steps to strengthen collective security, which include confining FRCI members to barracks and establishing a military police force. 24. The independent expert has also received information about difficulties encountered in merging the former Forces de Défense et de Sécurité with former Forces Nouvelles rebels in the ranks of the FRCI. The promised creation of a national army reflecting the country’s ethnic, religious and cultural diversity has been delayed because those who participated in the rebellion have differing backgrounds and have not all received standard military training. On the other hand, the fact that many former Forces Nouvelles officers are also former members of the national army may facilitate the building of the new, supposedly national army’s esprit de corps. Furthermore, there has already been cooperation between the Forces de Défense et de Sécurité and the Forces Nouvelles in the Integrated Command Centre, set up under the Ouagadougou Political Agreement, which could serve as a basis and inspiration for creating a new integrated army. D. The challenge of economic recovery 25. The protracted crisis in Côte d’Ivoire has deeply shaken the country’s economic system because it has lasted so long and been characterized by violent predatory behaviour and social marginalization. In the independent expert’s view, the post-election crisis and the sanctions imposed by the international community have negatively affected the country’s economy. The country is cash-starved and many financial establishments and companies have closed their doors because of poor security and the suspension of the bank clearing system by the Central Bank of West African States. Owing to the long political and military crisis, the growth rate fell by 5 per cent in 2011, according to the latest estimates by the Bretton Woods institutions, which date from September 2011. 26. The Government has clearly identified economic recovery as a priority in order to increase opportunities for wealth creation and improve people’s living conditions. With this in mind, the Government has committed itself to conducting its affairs in an effective, rigorous and transparent manner. The President has also begun holding periodic governmental workshops to ensure better focus and continuous feedback for its action. 27. The independent expert takes note of the Government’s resolve to provide employment to former combatants and to young people. He has also learned that a large proportion of robberies and attacks on homes appear to be the work of second-string FRCI members who, knowing they will not be enlisted into the new army, are committing abuses against the population. The independent expert believes that the future of human rights protection in Côte d’Ivoire depends partly on how the Government handles the disarming, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants. E. 1. The challenge of combating impunity Judicial mechanisms 28. The role of the country’s legal system in the post-election crisis has been mixed. An immediate cause of the crisis was the Constitutional Council’s controversial decision to invalidate the results of the second round of the presidential elections of November 2010 in certain northern electoral districts that are strongholds of the Rassemblement des Républicains. This idea was expressed forcefully by the president of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, 16 November 2011 in his speech at the ceremonial opening of the 2011–2012 GE.12-10060 7