Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stated that yesterday´s announcement of the Media and Communications Department of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine regarding legal stay of Ukrainian peacemakers in Cote d'Ivoire infringes on the applicable legislation.
M.Tomenko reminded that under the Law of Ukraine "On Participation of Ukraine in the International Peacemaking Operations", resolutions of the President on sending Ukrainian peacekeeping forces to foreign states shall be ratified by The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Temporary redeployment of Ukrainian military servicemen from Liberia to Cote d'Ivoire is performed under the Law of Ukraine (of February 4, 2011) "On Ratification of President´s Decree on sending Ukrainian Peacekeeping Forces to support UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire", which deploys the forces for "the period up to three months." The respective period ended on May 4.
M.Tomenko stated that the bill "On Ratification of President´s Decree on sending Ukrainian Peacekeeping Forces to support UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire" was put on the agenda of the current parliamentary session yesterday. The signature of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in the explanatory note to the bill actually confirms that after May 4 Ukrainian peacemakers will stay in Cote d'Ivoire illegally. The explanatory note reads, "Taking into account that the period of temporary redeployment of Ukrainian air unit to Cote d'Ivoire ends on May 4, 2011 under the Law of Ukraine of February 4, 2011 No. 3001-VI, and considering critical importance of further deployment of military aviation capacities of Ukraine to support UN operation in this African state, the UN Secretariat requested to extend the period of temporary redeployment of Ukrainian peacekeeping forces from the UN mission in Liberia to the territory of Cote d'Ivoire by September 30, 2011."
The Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed that according to UNIAN news agency, Ukrainian side received the letter from UN Secretariat with a request to extend the period of redeployment as early as on April 4. He stated that poorly coordinated actions and negligence of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs placed the stay of Ukrainian peacekeeping forces in Cote d'Ivoire beyond legal control. He called for settling this issue immediately: either withdrawing the forces from the area of combat operations, or legalizing its stay.