Cote D'Ivoire : UN Apologises To Belarus Over Arms

Cote D'Ivoire : UN Apologises To Belarus Over Arms

The United Nations has apologised to Belarus for falsely alleging that it broke an arms embargo on Cote d' Ivoire by supplying three attack helicopters to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo .
 
“This is a troubling event and a mistaken report,” Under-Secretary-General and head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO),, Alain Le Roy, told newsmen in New York .

Le-Roy met Belarusian Charge d'Affaires, Zoya Kolonta to convey his regret.

UN report

It is to be recalled that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon 's spokesman had accused Belarus of violating the arms embargo, in a statement issued late on Sunday in New York .
 
The UN statement was based on reports from its mission in Cote d' Ivoire (UNOCI).

The statement said the first delivery of the attack helicopters and parts had reportedly arrived on a flight, which landed late on Sunday in Yamoussoukro and additional flights were scheduled for Monday.

Apology 
Le Roy said that information came from a report given to the Group of Experts, established by the Security Council, to monitor the arms embargo against Cote d'Ivoire .

''There was no plane (that) landed that evening. It was a clear mistake. I presented on behalf of DPKO and the UN our deep regret and apologies to Belarus and I welcome particularly the fact that the Belarusian authorities have reconfirmed their full compliance with the embargo. It was UNOCI making the wrong report and of course as head of DPKO I take the blame for that,'' Le Roy said.
 
The UN peacekeeping Chief said Belarus had checked that none of their private companies was engaged in any arms deal in Cote d'Ivoire .

Embargo

The Security Council imposed the embargo in 2004 after a civil war in 2002 split the country into a rebel-held north and a government-controlled south.
 
Cote d' Ivoire had been thrown into political crisis following Gbagbo's refusal to leave office for the UN-certified and internationally recognised winner of last November's run-off poll, Alassane Ouattara.

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