The Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara has asked the prosecutor to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate "the most serious crimes" committed in Côte d'Ivoire since November 28, 2010, in a letter dated May 3, published on Wednesday the site of the Court.
"By this I mean I wish to confirm that your office leads in Côte d'Ivoire independent and impartial investigations on the most serious crimes committed since 28 November 2010 on the entire Ivorian territory," saysOuattara's letter.
He wants the prosecutor's office "should ensure that those who bear the greatest criminal responsibility for serious crimes are identified, prosecuted and brought before the International Criminal Court."
The Ivorian Minister of Justice has already "taken steps to shed light on a number of offenses," saysOuattara, but he adds, "the Ivorian justice is, to date, not best placed to handle the most serious crimes committed in recent months."
The Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara, in power since the April 11 arrest of Laurent Gbagbo, had said in mid-April that he would ask the ICC to "initiate investigations" into the massacres that occurred in Western countries.
The ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo for his part said on May 3 in New York that his services were preparing an application to open a judicial investigation in Côte d'Ivoire on the massacres.
