2007年VOA标准英语-Ivory Coast Mixed Brigades Mired by Dispute Ove

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
30 April 2007

Mixed brigades in Ivory Coast are being launched in two towns in a buffer¹ zone separating the government-run south and rebel-held north, but the process is mired² in a dispute over military ranks given to rebels. There are also concerns about reports of growing insecurity in the region. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from our West Africa bureau in Dakar.

Preparations are being made for the joint³ patrols in Bangolo and Zeale, near the border with Liberia.

They are to consist of ten government soldiers, 10 rebels and four United Nations peacekeepers.

But a controversy⁴ over ranks seems to be slowing down the process.

Rebels want ranks they gave to their fighters to be recognized. The defense⁵ minister says that is a question the politicians in the power-sharing government must decide upon, maybe during meetings this week.

Army is to move back into buffer zone

Since mid-April, French rapid reaction forces and U.N. peacekeepers, who have been manning the no-weapons buffer zone, stopped accompanying convoys⁶ of cars.

A humanitarian⁷ worker with the International Organization for Migration⁸, Caroline Pagani, says this has already created problems in traveling from the south to the north.

"I had to take the road to the airport to take the flight of World Food Program and a few hours after I passed, there was a car that was shot on," she said. "They have installed a sort of escort but you have to wait until there are about 25 vehicles, which you cannot always do unfortunately, because you are restricted about the time."

She is pessimistic about Ivorian forces taking over the unstable⁹ area.

"They will not be able to face everything, I do not think so," she said. "Because they are not prepared for this. They do not have the equipment to do it. So how can they secure the country all by themselves? I do not think it is possible."

A spokesman for the French forces, Colonel Christian¹⁰ Racle, says international forces are still part of the process of securing Ivory Coast.

"According to me, it is a bit early for me to be optimistic or pessimistic," he said. "What I mean is that the Ivorian people have chosen that deployment¹¹. The authorities of the Ivory Coast have decided¹² to settle such patrols and of course, as we are concerned, the impartial¹³ forces, that is to say the United Nations and the French forces will accompany that deployment."

barricades14" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070602/0839001.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Criminals put up barricades

An advisor¹⁵ for President Laurent Gbagbo, Lambert Bahi, says there have been some criminals taking advantage of the delicate transition period.

"You do have some thieves, and some groups of delinquents¹⁶ who are operating nightly in those areas, attacking the convoys of cars and passenger buses commuting¹⁷ from one city to another," said Bahi.

But he says it is important to keep in mind the overall goal of dismantling¹⁸ the buffer zone.

"We want to have elections. The president is determined¹⁹ to hold the elections this year, so definitely the reunification of the country goes with the dismantling of the buffer zone, because it is through the dismantling of the buffer zone, the creation of the mixed army patrol groups that is going to permit the redeployment of the administration, the return of the people that ran away, that fled from the towns where the war was actually taking place," he said.

Other steps that need to be taken following the latest peace deal signed in Burkina Faso include disarming²⁰ militias²¹, reunifying the army, identifying citizens and establishing new voter lists.

Rebels have occupied more than half of Ivory Coast since late 2002, saying they are fighting to give millions of undocumented northerners equal rights.

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 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

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 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 convoys   

n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队

参考例句：

• Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句

7 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

8 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

9 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

10 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

11 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。

14 barricades   

路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The police stormed the barricades the demonstrators had put up. 警察冲破了示威者筑起的街垒。
• Others died young, in prison or on the barricades. 另一些人年轻时就死在监牢里或街垒旁。

15 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

16 delinquents   

n.（尤指青少年）有过失的人，违法的人( delinquent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The robbery was committed by a group of delinquents. 那起抢劫案是一群青少年干的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There is today general agreement that juvenile delinquents are less responsible than older offenders. 目前人们普遍认为青少年罪犯比成人罪犯的责任小些。 来自辞典例句

17 commuting   

交换（的）

参考例句：

• I used the commuting time to read and answer my mail. 我利用上下班在汽车中的时间来阅读和答复给我的函电。
• Noncommuting objects are as real to the mathematicians as commuting objects. 对于数学家来说，不可交换的对象与可交换的对象是一样真实的。

18 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

19 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

20 disarming   

adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He flashed her a disarming smile. 他朝她笑了一下，让她消消气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We will agree to disarming troops and leaving their weapons at military positions. 我们将同意解除军队的武装并把武器留在军事阵地。 来自辞典例句

21 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网