The European Parliament,

- having regard to Article 5 of the Fourth Lomé Convention

and the resolution adopted by the ACP/EEC Joint Assembly in

Amsterdam in September 1991 on the links between democracy

and development,

A. whereas, on 18 February 1992, a demonstration by opposition

groups was violently broken up by the security forces,

B. whereas over 300 people have appeared before the Abidjan

criminal court; whereas leading opposition figures have

been sentenced to several years' imprisonment, including Mr

Laurent Gragbo, Member of Parliament and Secretary-General

of the Côte d'Ivoire People's Front, Mr René Dégny-Segui,

President of the Côte d'Ivoire Human Rights League, and

four Members of Parliament who have been imprisoned and

charged in violation of their parliamentary immunity,

C. whereas the Archbishop of Abidjan has alleged that women

and children have been arrested at home for no apparent

reason and badly treated,

D. whereas the opposition has been left leaderless following

the systematic round-up of political and trade union

leaders and leaders of various associations,

E. whereas the demonstration was in response to the report by

the Committee of Inquiry into the acts of violence

committed by the armed forces on Abidjan university campus

in May 1991,

F. whereas the report clearly indicates that General Guei, the

Chief of Staff, was responsible and whereas President

Houphouet Boigny has refused to punish the General,

1. Expresses its deep concern at the imprisonment of trade

union leaders and all activists from political opposition

parties arrested because of their non-violent political

activities;

2. Deplores the unacceptable repression of the Côte d'Ivoire

opposition whose rights have been constantly undermined

despite the recognition of a multi-party political system

on 30 April 1990;

3. Calls on the Côte d'Ivoire authorities to halt proceedings

against all political detainees imprisoned in February

1992, to release them immediately and to respect the rules

of political pluralism and human rights;

4. Calls, in response to the report by the Committee of

Inquiry, for the military personnel responsible for the

acts of violence on Abidjan campus to be brought to trial;

5. Calls on the Council and the Commission, on the basis of

the commitments entered into by the signatories to the Lomé

Convention, to exert pressure on the Côte d'Ivoire

authorities to secure the release of the opposition leaders

and to institute criminal proceedings on the basis of the

report by the Committee of Inquiry;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the

Commission, the Council and the government of Côte

d'Ivoire.