Cote D' Ivoire's Gbagbo's presidential reign is near the end of its rope...

[the_future_modernes]

The Cote D' Ivoire Issue

Today I want to write something about Côte d’Ivoire. Why is this relevant on an Afro-European blog? Because the current situation in Côte d’Ivoire is about conflicting interest between Africa and Europe. Because the Ivoirian community of France is clearly expressing its frustration in the way France (and generally the West) is involved in local issues in Africa (see video's below). In this post I will try to clarify what is exactly going on as I think this story is relevant for most ex-colonies in relation to their past and Europe, this story is relevant for all Europeans of ex-colonial origin.

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Côte d’Ivoire has long been a prosperous country. It is the world’s lead cocoa exporter and Africa’s biggest palm oil producer (palm oil is an important raw material in the manufacture of soaps, washing powder and other hygiene and personal care products, besides biodiesel).

Even before independence Côte d’Ivoire was economically the most important region of French West Africa (which was administered as one colonial entity, only divided by France during the independence struggle). Many people from all over French West Africa migrated there for work. After independence this trend didn’t stop. These migrations have been going on for decades now, and many people who are born and raised in Côte d’Ivoire have foreign roots in other formerly French West African countries. Many live in the north and urban areas, with a concentration in the economical center of the country: Abidjan (the capital being Yamoussoukro).
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Cote d'Ivoire: The forgotten war?

An ethnic dimension?

Now what would a bloody Hollywood narrative on Africa be without divisions along ethnic, religious or, that endemically poisonous term, 'tribal' lines?

Owono says that although not completely obvious in the rhetoric, there is a religious and even an ethnic dimension to the dispute. And while media houses are often accused of abusing ethnic tensions in propagating a story line, the news from Cote d'Ivoire has run without much mention of this dimension to the conflict.

"The Ivorian Supreme Court declared Gbagbo president by invalidating the votes of nearly 600,000 citizens. Most of them had voted in the north of the country," says Owono.

"You have to understand that northern Ivory Coast is mainly Muslim, and mainly populated by Djoulas, Senoufos and Malinkes. All of them have historically migrated from neighbour[ing] countries (Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Senegal).

"By invalidating their votes, Gbagbo and his camp re-used the 'Ivority' concept, a concept invented in the mid-1990s to exclude Alassane Ouattara from running for the presidential election because he had parents from Burkina Faso. So with this concept, in the light of the current events, those from the north of Cote d'Ivoire are suspected to be foreigners, because they have parents, or ancestors who migrated to Cote d’Ivoire."MORE

March 31. Gbagbo's options 'limited'

Monica Marks is a freelance journalist based in Abidijan. She comments on the situation as it was yesterday.


April 1 Cote D'Ivoire: Abijan in the waning hours of Gbagbo's Regime

The last two days have been rich in twists and turns in Côte d'Ivoire.

Forces loyal to Alassane Dramane Ouattara, the internationally recognised president of Côte d'Ivoire, and Guillaume Soro, Ouattara's prime minister, began an offensive towards the South and the West of the country. In less than three days, they succeeded in taking over the cities of Douékoué and reached Yamoussoukro on March 30th. The Forces Républicaine de Côte d'Ivoire (Republican Forces of Côte d'Ivoire) have entered Abidjan, the main city of Côte d'Ivoire where the incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to step down in December 2010 after losing the presidential election, may still be located.

The Ivorian online community commented on the events, and here is a quick snapshot of a few conversations.MORE

International pressure grows on Gbagbo to go: US, France and UN renew calls for Cote d'Ivoire's leader to quit as heavy fighting rages near presidential palace.

The United States, France and the UN secretary-general have called on Cote d'Ivoire's incumbent president to step down as forces loyal to his internationally recognised rival fight fierce battles to force him out of power.

Mark Toner, a spokesman for the US state department, said on Friday that time for Laurent Gbagbo was "drawing nigh", adding: "We would urge Mr Gbabgo to read the writing on the wall and to step down now."

France, which still has ties with its former colony and follows its affairs closely, called on Gbagbo in a statement to "step down immediately, stop the violence and cede power peacefully to President Alassane Ouattara".

The statement followed an afternoon meeting on Friday between Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, foreign affairs and defence ministers, and other officials to discuss the situation in the West African country.

Saying there has been too much bloodshed in Cote d'Ivoire, Ban Ki-moon, the UN chiefrenewed his call on Gbagbo to step down to avoid further violence, and transfer power immediately to Ouattara.
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