COTE D IVOIRE: UN radio station finally starts broadcasting

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

ABIDJAN, 13 Aug 2004 (IRIN) - A UN radio station finally took to the airwaves in Cote d'Ivoire on Friday after months of wrangling with the government, kicking off its campaign to bring impartial news and messages of peace to the crisis-hit country with a speech from Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

“I can confirm that the radio is broadcasting, you can listen to it yourself”, Jean-Victor N’Kolo, the spokesman for the UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire (ONUCI), told IRIN.

The station's already-delayed launch had been planned for Tuesday but in fact residents in the economic capital, Abidjan, had to wait until Friday to tune in to ONUCI FM.

The station now plans to start transmission in rebel-held towns in the northern half of the country like Bouake, Korhogo and Man as well as other towns in the government-held south.

It would thus become the only radio station broadcasting nationwide in divided Cote d'Ivoire since it erupted into civil war almost two years ago.

Diplomats closely involved in efforts to resolve the conflict have frequently lamented the very partisan nature of country's media, particularly the privately owned newspapers, most of which are closely aligned with particular political interest groups. They have often been accused of whipping up political and ethnic hatred rather than promoting national reconciliation.

N’Kolo said the new station had broadcast a speech by UN chief Annan on Friday and would shortly begin broadcasting a full programme with news bulletins, music, and features on cultural and social issues.

“People are going to be surprised by this radio, the coverage will be broad... there will be everything," N’Kolo said.

The launch of the radio station, which the UN deems essential for peace and national reconciliation in the war-torn country, puts an end to two months of technical and administrative wrangling.

ONUCI FM had originally been slated to start broadcasting in June. But it was delayed by endless bureaucratic hitches from the Ivorian government while the country's peace process remained deadlocked.

However, after a crisis summit in Accra at the end of July to put the country's January 2003 peace agreement back on track, the authorities finally gave permission for ONUCI FM to start transmitting on borrowed frequencies from state television broadcaster RTI.

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