2007年VOA标准英语-Ivory Coast Peacekeepers to Begin Pulling Out

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
12 April 2007

International peacekeepers in Ivory Coast say they will withdraw slowly from the buffer¹ zone that separates northern rebels and the Ivorian army. The process of reunifying divided Ivory Coast will begin with a ceremony Monday. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from our West Africa bureau in Dakar.

(L to R) General Amoussou Marcel, General Bakayoko Soumaila, head of New Forces rebels party, General Mangou Philippe, Ivory Coast chief of Staff and French general Antoine Lecerf sign an agreement, 11 Apr 2007

The commander of U.N. forces, Marcel Amoussou says the withdrawal² of peacekeepers from a zone that marked the division of Ivory Coast is significant.

"It is a very important decision in the peace process in Cote d'Ivoire," he said. "Many of the [Ivorian] security forces will take over the security and then responsibility in this zone."

General Amoussou says the handover will take place in stages.

"Some months, we will have to support them because there is a lack of confidence and we will help them renew confidence among them," he said.

Rebels and the Ivorian army are setting up what they call an integrated military command center, following the latest peace deal reached in Burkina Faso.

The aim is to set up joint³ brigade centers, and joint rebel-army patrols in the buffer zone. French rapid reaction forces and U.N. troops are to withdraw over the next few months and set up observation posts along the dividing line between rebel zones and government run areas.

General Amoussou says this will allow U.N. troops to deploy⁴ elsewhere to help with other parts of the peace deal.

"We will redeploy our troops in the country to provide security all over the country, to secure the borders and also to deal with the key processes, the DDR (EDS: disarmament, demobilization and reinsertion of fighters), the identification, and then the elections. So for all these key processes there is a need for U.N. troops in the country," he said.

Despite previous failed peace deals, some of which were followed by renewed violence, General Amoussou says he believes in this one.

"There is no military risk, but let us say we have to remain vigilant," he said.

A French military official told VOA, the joint integrated command is not ready technically⁵ or logistically to ensure security in the buffer zone. But he says French troops will be ready to leave when there are guarantees security can be maintained in the ethnically-diverse and tense region.

Northern-based rebels have been fighting for more inclusive elections, in which more northerners can take part. Their leader, Guillaume Soro, was recently named prime minister in a new government, sharing power with President Laurent Gbagbo, whose term in office has already been extended twice due to delayed elections.

 

1 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。

2 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

5 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。