The Ivory Coast's new Prime Minister, Seydou Diarra, is visiting Accra (Ghana), where he is scheduled to meet with the three Ivorian rebel movements - MPCI (Patriotic Movement of the Ivory Coast), MPIGO (Ivorian Peoples Movement for the Great West) and the MPJ (Movement for Peace and Justice).
The humanitarian situation in the Ivory Coast is extremely serious and could deteriorate even further. The western part of country, along the Liberian border, remains a lawless and violent place. A UN representative reported that "Liberian militias were running rampant and drugged kids with guns were committing every kind of atrocity possible." Loyalist and rebel forces clashed along Liberian border at Toulepleu (about 15 km inside the border) on 11-12 February. Even in Government-controlled areas, life was not easy for Ivoirians. The UN claims that the government had authorized attacks on shantytowns, as well as harassment by police and young vigilantes. - Adam Geibel