A/HRC/22/66 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 7 January 2013 English Original: French Human Rights Council Twenty-second session Agenda item 10 Technical assistance and capacity-building Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Doudou Diène Summary The present report is the outcome of the third visit of the Independent Expert to Côte d’Ivoire, from 24 September to 12 October 2012, and is intended to reflect the situation of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire from 15 July to 15 December 2012. In a subregional context that is weakened by the situation in northern Mali and the Sahel and faced with a tense political climate and an unstable security situation, Côte d’Ivoire is at a decisive political turning point, despite the remarkable economic and social progress that has been achieved. The attacks by assailants, which chiefly took place in August and September 2012 and were attributed to armed individuals identified by the Government as pro-Gbagbo militants, appeared to be designed to plunge the country back into the cycle of aggression and repression that has prevailed in Côte d’Ivoire for more than 10 years. The response of the State security system to this wave of attacks has at times been disproportionate, leading to some recognized human rights violations. It is against this background that the Independent Expert gathered information on the increasingly precarious human rights situation, which would appear likely to undermine democratic, economic and social gains. With regard to the violations committed by assailants in the course of attempts to destabilize the country, some 60 people were killed, including Forces Républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI) troops and civilians, women and children. In certain areas in the west of the country, populations were displaced by the attacks, fearing for their lives, and hundreds of people were forced to leave their villages to take refuge in neighbouring areas. The FRCI reacted vigorously to attacks by the assailants by strengthening its presence in Abidjan and other areas, particularly in sensitive areas such as the west of the country and the borders with Liberia and Ghana. FRCI troops set up roadblocks and conducted searches and raids in villages. Against this background, violations of the right to life, arbitrary arrest and detention, acts of torture, violations of the right to property, extortion and racketeering were reported throughout the country, particularly in the west. GE.13-10074 (E) 080213 080213