Ivory Coast

[SWJED]

10 June NY Times - A War Ends in Ivory Coast but Peace, Order and Unity Are Flickering Dreams by Lydia Polgreen.

... Under the terms of a peace agreement signed in March, the commander of the rebel army has become the prime minister, sharing power with his old nemesis, President Laurent Gbagbo. Militias loyal to the government have thrown weapons by the hundreds upon pyres in a symbolic disarmament. United Nations peacekeepers have dismantled their checkpoint in the buffer zone between Abidjan, a southern city that is the seat of the government, and this northern capital of the rebellion...

The agreement is the latest in a string of pacts, each of which has previously stumbled at the same fault lines that have thwarted resolution of this conflict — how to disarm the militias on both sides and how to decide, in a country full of migrants and their descendants, who is entitled to Ivorian citizenship?

The rebels have argued that people born here should be considered citizens even if their grandparents or parents migrated, while the government has resisted weakening strict citizenship laws and documentation requirements that previous generations also be Ivorian...

[Ron Humphrey]

Not sure this hasn't been brought up somewhere else yet if so feel free to move it to the appropriate thread

Election Results Reversed

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Angry youths are protesting in Ivory Coast's main city, burning tires, throwing chunks of concrete and tearing down billboards after election results were reversed.

[Rex Brynen]

Ecowas bloc threatens Ivory Coast's Gbagbo with force
BBC News
24 December 2010 Last updated at 16:03

The West African regional bloc Ecowas has told incumbent Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo to stand down or expect to face "legitimate force".

The statement came at the end of emergency talks on the crisis sparked by a disputed election last month.

The 15-member bloc and other international bodies have recognised his rival Alassane Ouattara as winner.

[davidbfpo]

Ron,

You were right to start a thread on the Ivory Coast. I have searched and whilst the term Ivory Coast does appear, SWC has not watched or commented upon the situation there.

I would suggest a couple of reasons for this: we rarely consider UN peacekeeping, let alone other regional peacekeeping (Somalia is an exception); it is in a Francophone country and above all it is in Africa. Would that change here if AFRICOM was to have a role?

Incidentally I would expect France to be the main country wondering WTF, IIRC there was a substantial expatriate community there.

BBC News latest report:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12079552

[Stan]

Greetings from a very snowy Estonia !

David, using the French version... Côte d'Ivoire we do get a few hits, but then this so-labeled LIC deserves its own thread.

Hmmm, Simple coincidence following the (then) president's 18 December order that UN and French troops leave the country and opposition to renew their mandate ?

Gbagbo Orders UN, French Troops Out

[M-A Lagrange]

Would be long to put all the references, especially as most material I have is in French but let say things do not look good.

1) Bagbo asked the UN and French troops to leave,
2) Outara asked the Un to stay
3) UN responded positively to Outara demand
4) French and German governments advised their citizen to leave Ivory Cost
5) Bagbo declared he will fight up to the last cartridge to liberate Ivory Cost…
6) US and UN confirmed that Bagbo sent his death squad and killed over 200 people since in power.
7) 14000 Ivorian fled Ivory Coast to Liberia according to UNHCR

What next?
Civil war restarts or a foreign military intervention to install Outara in power?
That’s the 2 worst case scenarios ever, for Ivory Coast and for the whole continent.

What’s happening in Ivory Coast is important for sub Saharan Africa because it can open the road to a new African model based on legality and freedom of the people to choose their future. Or it can be the final grave of any changes on that continent.

[ocnus]

There seems to be very poor understanding about the background to the current standoff in the Ivory Coast; and an even worse understanding of what 'intervention' means in the context of an African war. Perhaps these will add to the debate

http://www.ocnus.net/artman2/publish...kes-Back.shtml

http://www.ocnus.net/artman2/publish...d-Africa.shtml

[Stan]

There seems to be very poor understanding about the background to the current standoff in the Ivory Coast; and an even worse understanding of what 'intervention' means in the context of an African war. Perhaps these will add to the debate

http://www.ocnus.net/artman2/publish...kes-Back.shtml

http://www.ocnus.net/artman2/publish...d-Africa.shtml

Welcome aboard OCNUS !

Sadly you've concluded we have a poor understanding of Africa and the current issues in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, but I assure you the members herein have decades of experience. I would recommend a brief read where this thread started instead of starting your own.

Thanks in advance, Stan

[ocnus]

I apologise for my rudeness. I was not referring to the SWC but to the 'international community' in general with whom I feel a sense of frustration.

[SWJED]

I apologise for my rudeness. I was not referring to the SWC but to the 'international community' in general with whom I feel a sense of frustration.

Accepted, just realize the Council has some "real" subject matter experts with both muddy boots experience and academic credentials. And there are those like Stan who have been there, done it; and can't stop being there, doing it.

[Stan]

Hey again OCNUS,
Took a peek at your links and ... I don't know what to say.

Exactly what is different about Cote d'ivoire from say any other African State in Sub-Sahara ?

Sorry, but you've got it in for the French (or what?). Wait til M-A wakes up in Sudan tonite

BTW, remember the AK47 ? Please check your records on the weapons in Sub-Sahara. These were not procured from France.

I'd love to see some of your creative writing RE the Chinese in Africa; might just clear up a few things regarding weapons and procurement.

Regards, Stan

In summary, the colonial pact maintained the French control over the economies of the African states; it took possession of their foreign currency reserves; it controlled the strategic raw materials of the country; it stationed troops in the country with the right of free passage; it demanded that all military equipment be acquired from France; it took over the training of the police and army; it required that French businesses be allowed to maintain monopoly enterprises in key areas (water, electricity, ports, transport, energy, etc.). It is difficult to imagine what the changes were from colonial rule to today that aren't merely cosmetic.