VOA常速英语2007年-Northern Ivorians Pleased With Peace

By Phillip Wellman
Abidjan
08 November 2007

Leading non-governmental organizations and the United Nations have recently expressed concern over the pace of the peace process in Ivory Coast. But after visiting a community of northerners living in the southern, commercial capital Abidjan, Phillip Wellman discovered that most of its residents are happy with the current political situation and patient with the government.

When asked if life is difficult for northerners in the south of Ivory Coast, Awa Progo laughs, shakes her head no and says life is good.

Progo says all of her neighbors in the Blingue ghetto² of Abidjan and all of her relatives in the north of the country are also enjoying life now that the war is over.

Progo says the current situation is a stark³ contrast to how things were in the recent past. She says during the war everyone was scared, but now actual peace exists.

Civil war broke out in Ivory Coast in 2002 when rebels took up arms on behalf of many northerners who said they were being treated as foreigners, persecuted⁴ by security forces and not given basic rights.

Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and rebel-leader Guillaume Soro ended the war with a peace accord that aims to organize free and fair elections and resulted in Soro becoming prime minister.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon recently said he was deeply concerned over the failure to stick to the timeline set out in the peace accord, and said continued slacking would undermine the peace process.

But the Ivorian government says it is implementing⁶ procedures carefully and thoroughly⁷ to prevent future violence.

Francois Irry, who is originally from the town of Odienne in northern Ivory Coast, says he agrees with the government that it is more important to implement⁵ measures correctly and have lasting⁸ peace than to move too quickly and risk going back to war.

In terms of peace, Irry says things are now fine. But he says financially, circumstances remains⁹ difficult.

Analysts¹⁰ point out that while Ivorians may be enjoying a more peaceful atmosphere after several years of violence, full reconciliation¹¹ has yet to be reached, which is having negative effects on the living conditions of many.

Ivorian specialist with Royal Institute of International affairs in London Daniel Balint Kurti points out that the country's economy is particularly vulnerable as the wait for unity¹ continues.

"The longer the country remains divided, the longer the country will remain poor and the longer it will take for growth to take off," said Daniel Balint Kurti. "So every year the country will become more impoverished¹²."

The United Nations says that in addition to delays in the identification process, setbacks in the country's disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program are also prolonging full reconciliation.

The organization recently renewed arms and diamond sanctions against Ivory Coast in a bid to make the country stick to the terms of the peace accord.

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 ghetto   

n.少数民族聚居区，贫民区

参考例句：

• Racism and crime still flourish in the ghetto.城市贫民区的种族主义和犯罪仍然十分猖獗。
• I saw that achievement as a possible pattern for the entire ghetto.我把获得的成就看作整个黑人区可以仿效的榜样。

3 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

4 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

5 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

6 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

7 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

8 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

12 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》