A/HRC/17/49
of the presence of at least 250 bullet-ridden corpses in the morgue in Anyama (close to
N’dotré), with the majority brought in during November and December, which coincides
with the period when the first allegations of the presence of mass graves were brought to
the attention of the Human Rights Division.
18.
The existence of mass graves was verified on 6 May in Yopougon, where the
Human Rights Division found 10 sites in the Doukouré district, located not far from the
police station in the 6th arrondissement. Reliable sources, with further corroboration
provided by the families of some of the victims and additional witnesses, indicated that 68
bodies were buried in ten different places. Thirty-one and twenty-one bodies were buried at
each of the two largest sites. The victims, all believed to be male, were reportedly killed by
pro-Gbagbo militias and mercenaries on 12 April, following the capture of President
Gbagbo. Sources interviewed by the Human Rights Division indicated that militiamen in
plain clothes and armed with Kalashnikovs attacked houses in small groups and arrested
people whom they subsequently summarily executed.
D.
The attacks on the Anonkoua-Kouté village
19.
On 8 March, the Human Rights Division of UNOCI carried out a monitoring
mission to Anonkoua-Kouté village, Abobo, Abidjan, to investigate reports of an attack on
the village by armed men, which resulted in at least 15 deaths, several wounded and the
destruction of property. While the mission could not directly confirm the numbers of
deaths, it observed that the village had been captured and was now under the control of
elements of the “Commando invisible”, dressed in civilian attire and armed with knives,
rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. They appeared disciplined and organized, operating
under a visible chain of command and giving military salutes. The apparent leader of the
group explained that, following the call of Mr. Gbagbo’s “Minister for Youth” and leader
of the Jeunes Patriotes, Charles Blé Goudé, to his militias on 28 February to erect
roadblocks throughout Abidjan, and monitor the movement of all vehicles, Mr. Blé
Goudé’s ethnic Ebrié supporters responded by setting up roadblocks, attacking ethnic
Dioula civilians, and denouncing them to the FDS. He stated that, on 5 March, his group
had intervened to protect the Dioula population from the Ebriés.
20.
The mission found that all members of the Ebrié Community had fled the village.
There were only four elderly sick persons, three men and one woman, who had been left
behind by their families. Information obtained indicates that the village was violently
attacked by the members of the Commando Invisible, causing the arbitrary mass
displacement of about 5,330 villagers. As a result of the attack on the Ebrié ethnic group in
Anonkoi-Kouté, the youth of the Ebrié village of Blockhauss in Cocody, Abidjan, retaliated
on 9 March against West African nationals, mainly from Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal,
by burning down their homes, shops and a local mosque, prompting the population to flee
the area.
IV.
Violations of human rights and international humanitarian
law in the west
21.
The human rights situation in the west became a major concern during March and
April after a pattern of human rights violations and abuses was noted, particularly in
Duékoué, Bloléquin, Toulépleu and Zouan Hounien. The violations reached a climax upon
the arrival of elements of the FRCI in these areas in March as they marched south towards
Abidjan. Attacks and counter-attacks by Ivorian and immigrant communities, aided by
well-constituted militia groups and mercenaries, occasioned a massive loss of lives and
property with severe humanitarian consequences, in particular for women, children and the
8
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents