E/CN.4/1997/71 page 25 Above all don't count on the police or army to hold us back, and even less on the authorities because we all agree: by opening our borders President Houphouet has dropped us in it. Now it's over, Bedie will free Côte d'Ivoire; he himself has said that you can't govern against the people. It's you we're talking to, because what the Ivorian people want is for you to get out. What Bedie wants, like Hitler, is a pure race; an undivided Côte d'Ivoire for pure-bred Ivorians. Growth is once again within our grasp and we refuse to share it. Get the so-called international agencies, ADB, ILO, UNICEF, UNIDO, Air Afrique, the World Bank, IMF, WHO, etc. - in other words everything international off our backs. We're going to run national offices and keep to ourselves - a pure race. It is not our fault if your Presidents are useless. It is not our fault if your countries are pathetic. It is not our fault if you are land-locked. What if there was no Côte d'Ivoire? So get out. We the undersigned, the soldiers of Bedie. bred Ivorians.” 83. The pure No reply has been received from the Government of Côte d'Ivoire. 2. Special Rapporteur's observations 84. The Special Rapporteur sincerely hopes that the Government will examine the problem and provide him with detailed information on the tract, apparently indicative of a wave of xenophobia which troubles neighbouring countries since many of their nationals live in Côte d'Ivoire. F. 1. United States of America Communication dated 16 April 1996 85. It has been reported that “the State Department has agreed to pay US$ 3.8 million to compensate Black foreign service officers who alleged they were denied advancement and career opportunities because of their race, and to grant retroactive promotions to 17 of them”. 86. The agreement was a key part of a negotiated settlement that would end a federal lawsuit that has dragged on since 1986. Black diplomats charged they were given backwater assignments, denied promotions they deserved and unfairly driven out of the diplomatic corps. 87. In addition to the compensation fund and the retroactive promotion, the State Department agreed to reinstate four Black junior officers who were dismissed after failing to win permanent positions and to pay $2.1 million in legal fees to lawyers who represented the Black diplomats.