Brussels, 18/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Commission adopted an "immediate post crisis rehabilitation programme" for the Ivory Coast that will receive EUR 30 million. The President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi and the Commissioner for co-operation and humanitarian aid, Poul Nielson announced the adoption of the programme during the visit of the Ivory Coast President, Seydou Diarra.
The programme has an estimated time scale of 3 years and involves five specific objectives: facilitate and support the implementation of the government programme for national reconciliation (6 million; aid for implementing initiatives for dispelling tensions and helping reconciliation at national level at the Communities (1.5 million); facilitating and supporting the demobilisation of soldiers and their economic and social reinsertion (5 million); prioritising swift economic and social rehabilitation of the people affected or displaced and contributing to the physical rehabilitation of the basic infrastructure and civilian housing (5 million); contribution to ensuring minimum functioning and supply of essential medicines and health care structures in affected zones, mainly in the North and West of the country (5 million). Following a failed coup d'état attempt on 19 September 2002, the Ivory Coast is experiencing a serious crisis that provoked unprecedented displacements of the population. The main priority of the new government that came out of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreements, is national reconciliation of the political forces and the different ethnic communities, together with economic and social revival in the country. The Commission has already allocated a total of EUR 7.24 for emergency humanitarian operations to help the people affected by the conflict in the country. Funds are channelled through Echo, the humanitarian aid agency of the European Commission. In a press statement, the Commission indicated that implementation of the programmes decided on before the crisis would start up again as soon as possible. It also highlighted the fact that the finalisation of the co-operation strategy for the 9th EDF, for the 2003-07 period, interrupted since the crisis of 19 September 2002, "could actively begin again in view of signing the indicative national programme at the end of the year".