Support for Recovery of Cote D'fvoire

WHEREAS, the internationally recognized and democratically elected President of Cote d'lvoire, Alassane Ouattara, has taken his office but only by the use of force from the United Nations troops with French military support and the private militia of his party; and

WHEREAS, the previous President insisted that he had won the election, which in turn triggered a violent conflict between supporters of both men, with armed struggle between the Army and the militia of the party of now President Ouattara; and

WHEREAS, this conflict provided an impetus for violent elements within Cote d'lvoire, whose motivation was non-demonstrative and only self serving, to run rampant; and

WHEREAS, the resulting anarchy resulted in innocent civilian deaths, wanton property destruction, villages burned, institutions (including universities) ransacked, and refugees fleeing into adjacent countries, such as Liberia, which had very limited resources to assist them; and

WHEREAS, there has also been the disruption in food supplies, potable water, medicine and power resulting in unnecessary deaths, diseases and suffering; and

WHEREAS, the country remains deeply divided with much fear and mistrust which has resulted in a further division among religious, ethnic, tribal and geographic regions, and lack of security continues particularly for ethnic groups where the previous presidents had support; and

WHEREAS, Cote d'lvoire was formerly one of the economic centers in West Africa and a regional power due in large part to its political stability; and

WHEREAS, the United States supported the United Nations and the African Union in recognizing the now installed President Ouattara following the election and has provided $54 million in humanitarian assistance since the election.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP commends the United State for the assistance it has recently provided Cote D'lvoire and urges its communication with specific emphasis on issues of security and reconciliation (including investigation and addressing atrocities regardless of which side perpetuated them) and to expand its current areas of concern to re-establishing the severely damaged education system; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP urges the United States to work with regional West African institutions, the African Union and the United Nations to pursue these goals; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP use its Non Governmental Organization (NGO) status at the UN to follow this issue and urge the UN to give it a high priority; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP works to educate its units on the complex issues in Africa to raise awareness and counter the over-simplistic views and misinformation so often dominating in the mass media.