A/HRC/29/49 circumspect and measured in what he says, in order to effectively support the country in its journey towards stability and the consolidation of social peace and greater respect for human rights. C. Security situation 15. Peace is the foundation necessary for economic and human development and the promotion of all categories of human rights. The Government of Côte d’Ivoire, with the assistance of its international partners, is trying to establish lasting peace in the country. As a result, there has been a remarkable improvement in security, which the Independent Expert wishes to acknowledge, although it remains fragile. 16. In Abidjan, there are no longer illegal roadblocks or hold-ups organized by uncontrolled forces. Elsewhere, particularly in the west, north and sometimes centre of the country, the phenomenon of highway robbery still persists. The competent UNOCI units record some 14 such incidents per month. There is also crime due, among other factors, to the legacy of the long period of civil war, especially the economic difficulties it has created for vulnerable population groups. 17. Some of this crime is committed by children in conflict with the law, often living in precarious conditions with a poor family environment or no family environment at all. These children are commonly referred to as “germs” (microbes), a term frequently used by Ivorians in their everyday speech and in the media. The Independent Expert would like to draw attention to the fact that this is a term that carries a strong stigma and is likely to entrench juvenile offenders in their deviant behaviour. He therefore urges the Ivorian authorities, the Ivorian media and Ivorian civil society to completely eliminate this highly degrading term, which is used to describe some children in conflict with the law, from their vocabulary. It should also be mentioned that these children and children in general are victims of crime, including sexual abuse. The alarming phenomenon of child abduction is common. Indeed, the Ivorian authorities have strongly condemned the practice and pledged to combat it through appropriate preventive and punitive measures. 18. However, in terms of security, the risks of instability have not been entirely eliminated. The Akouédo military camp in Abidjan was attacked on the night of 17–18 September 2014. The attack resulted in the deaths of four members of the Forces Républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI) and an attacker and injured several people, including two UNOCI soldiers. Similarly, during the night of 9–10 January 2015, the Grabo region was the scene of an attack by an armed commando in which three persons were killed – two members of the FRCI and an assailant. The attack also led to the displacement of more than 1,000 people. 19. The continued security risks in Côte d’Ivoire must be seen in the particular context of the long period of violent disturbances that has only just abated, together with the upcoming elections. The situation is thus linked to specific factors that require an appropriate response. These factors include the difficulty in monitoring some geographical areas, such as the porous border area in the north of the country and the many huge forest areas. 20. In addition, the Dozo (a heterogeneous group of traditional hunters) and “comzones” (former zone commanders) still have some influence in a few localities outside the capital. Furthermore, some of the ex-combatants are still in possession of firearms, while they wait for the ongoing disarmament process to reach them. The authority responsible for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants has identified 76,000 former combatants. 6 GE.15-08296