Mass graves found in Cote d’Ivoire
May 10th, 2011 - 7:44 am ICT by IANSUnited Nations, May 10 (IANS) At least 68 bodies have been found in 10 graves near the Cote d’Ivoire’s main city of Abidjan, Xinhua reported.
According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the discovery made in the Youpogon neighborhood includes two mass graves — one with 31 bodies and the other with 21.
The human rights team is conducting interviews with witnesses and families of victims who may be able to provide insight into the killings, said UN spokesman Farhan Haq Monday.
Cote d’Ivoire is undergoing a political transition following months of violent clashes that ended with the April 11 arrest of former strongman Laurent Gbagbo by forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara, the UN-certified president-elect.
“(OHCHR) believes that killings took place on April 12 by pro- Gbagbo militia and that those killed are all males,” said Haq.
The team is continuing its probe into allegations of other graves nearby, added the spokesman.
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