PARIS, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Human Rights Watch applauded a decision by the government of Ivory Coast to renew a mandate for a unit tasked with investigating post-election violence in 2011. <\/p>\n
Ivory Coast was pushed to the brink of civil war following disputed presidential elections in December 2010. At least 3,000 people died as a result of the violence pitting supporters of President Alassane Ouattara against those backing the former president, Laurent Gbagbo. <\/p>\n
Ouattara's administration extended the mandate for an investigation into the violence and Daniel Bekele, director of African programs at Human Rights Watch, said it's time to get to work. <\/p>\n
\"Extending the special investigative cell's work gives the victims of the post-election violence a reason to hope that they might see justice,\" he said in a statement Thursday from Paris. \"Now the Ivorian government needs to give it the staff, logistical support, and independence to do the job.\" <\/p>\n
Gbagbo is on trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, for suspected war crimes committed during the post-election violence. Both parties to the conflict are suspected of committing human rights abuses. <\/p>\n
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\nHRW hails Ivorian post-election crisis investigation<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"