A/56/253 to their mission of evangelization, play a pioneering role in social issues for the benefit of the population (schools, health care centres, etc.). Similarly, in the south, which in the same clichéd manner is dubbed ‘Christian’, one finds some of the country’s finest mosques, including the one currently approaching completion in the heart of Abidjan and the one at Yamoussokro, whose imams are highly respected. “No split can exist in a country which is truly secular, which gives equal importance to the celebration of Christian and Muslim holidays, and in which a number of Muslim associations — such as (a) the Conseil Supérieur Islamique (CSI); (b) the Conseil National Islamique (CNI); (c) the Conseil Supérieur des Imams; and (d) the Ouma Islamique — operate with full freedom, and which have at their disposal a Government-authorized radio station and have television broadcast time every Thursday evening. Since independence, moreover, the Government has attached importance to the organization of the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, where it has opened an embassy. It grants financial support to denominational schools, and Christian schools are open, without any discrimination, to children of Muslim families. “However, the Head of State, Mr. Laurent Gbagbo, realizing that in some cases the situation has gone out of control, has taken concrete measures, setting up a Mediation Committee for National Reconciliation, in which all religious and political sensibilities are represented, and creating another committee composed of bishops, imams and pastors to prepare a list of all religious buildings that have been profaned or destroyed. Such actions clearly show his will to reconcile all the inhabitants of Côte d’Ivoire. The Forum of the Nation, whose creation was announced by the President of the Republic during his New Year’s address on 31 December 2000, is in accord with the same line of thinking. “One is pleased to note that the tense situation observed on 25 October and on 4 and 5 December 2000 is abating, much to the satisfaction of the people of Côte d’Ivoire, who were relieved to learn of the appeal made by RDR on 30 December for participation in the regional and municipal elections scheduled for March 2001.” Russian Federation 12. To a communication from the Special Rapporteur (para. 41), the Russian Federation replied: “It has been established that a group of individuals broke into an assembly of the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses that was in progress in a building located at 69 Lenin Avenue in Volgograd with the intention of preventing those present from exercising their right to manifest their religion. A member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mr. D. I. Kalinine, filed a complaint with the competent departments of the Ministry of the Interior. “On 21 September 2000, the office of the public prosecutor for the Krasnooktyabrsky district (municipality of Volgograd), where this complaint was filed, instituted proceedings under article 148 of the penal code of the Russian Federation. The leadership of the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses was informed of that action. 59