Crisis and Context in the Ivory Coast

You may have seen the distressing news from the Ivory Coast — all-out fighting has erupted in the capital of Abidjan and reports of civilian deaths in more remote areas are increasing. As the humanitarian crisis in the Ivory Coast flares up alarmingly, it's important to both keep abreast of current developments and understand the origins of the deep divisions that are fueling the conflict there.

On April 4, U.N. peacekeepers entered the conflict against former president Laurent Gbago, using helicopters to destroy his military's heavy weapons in the capital. This traces back to last fall, when Gbago lost the Ivory Coast presidential election to Alassane Outarra on December 2, 2011, but refused to step down. According to the BBC, although the African Union, the European Union, the United Nations, and the West Africa regional organization ECOWAS all confirmed the election of Outarra as president and called on Gbago to step down, Gbago has continued his refusal to hand over power. He has used armed force against civilians he perceives as loyal to Outarra, including shelling residential areas where Outarra's supporters live. In the three months since the election results, there have been armed clashes between supporters of both men, targeted killings of Outarra's supporters by military controlled by Gbago, and fighting in both Abidjan and remote areas of the country. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, approximately 1 million Ivorians have fled their homes and are either displaced internally or have crossed borders seeking safety and over 500 civilians were killed by the end of March 2011.

After several failed attempts at negotiation, the African Union gave Gbago until March 24, 2011, to step down. Still refusing, he has engaged his forces, including militia, in what the BBC has described as a "lightning sweep" down from the northern part of the country into the capital to take it by force. The battle continued in the capital over the weekend, leaving residents in terrible straits, trying to get food, water, and health care in the midst of fighting. On April 4, the U.N. peacekeepers launched air strikes against Gbagbo's forces. By April 5, Gbagbo had retreated to a bunker in the presidential palace, had been deserted by many supporters, and was beginning to negotiate his exit. As the armed conflict begins to die down, reports are coming in from the countryside about civilian deaths caused by both sides. While there are many reports of civilian deaths at the hands of Gbagbo's forces, there are alarming reports of over 800 people killed by Outarra's forces in Deukoue, in the western part of the country.

The conflict over the elections reflects the deep divisions in the Ivory Coast that have to do with ethnicity, economics, religion, and geography. The majority of the many immigrants from Burkina Faso and Mali, who have come into the western, southern, and central areas of the country to work in the prosperous cocoa industry, are Muslims with religious and ethnic ties to the Muslim northerners. Over the years, politicians have used that to stir up difference with the population in the south, claiming that the northerners are not Ivorians. There has even been discussion about not issuing them identity cards. In turn, the northerners claimed that they face discrimination from the southerners. In 2002, disgruntled soldiers from the North mutinied and were on the verge of taking over the country when the French and the United Nations intervened. A 9,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force was installed, dividing the country into the north and the south.

The election of Outarra, a former prime minister, was seen by many as a way to bring the country back together as he is from the North. However, the deep divisions in the country emerged as soon as the election results were announced. The three-month standoff has caused hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of people are displaced. Although people in the capital are relieved that the fighting appears to be ending, BBC reporters say many are deeply frustrated by all of the violence and lost lives, which could have been avoided if Gbagbo had accepted the results of the internally recognized election.