The Fight to Restore Democracy in Côte D’Ivoire

Morgan Lorraine Roach / December 22, 2010

Achieving stable and mature democracy in sub-Saharan Africa remains a work in progress, as illustrated by the November 28 elections in Côte D’Ivoire.

A once comparatively stable west African nation, Côte D’Ivoire has for over a decade existed either in conflict or on the brink of civil war. The latest electoral crisis has once more pushed the country to the brink and spurred growing concern within the international community.

An ethnically divided country, Côte D’Ivoire is the world’s largest cocoa producer, attracting migrant workers from neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso. This has stirred considerable resentment, particularly from the southern end of the country. Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, skilled in the art of political survival, has consistently played upon tribal and ethnic divisions to keep his grip on power. All evidence points to his defeat in the November 28 election run-off, yet Gbagbo refuses to relinquish power to his opponent, Alassane Ouattara, who was banned from running in previous presidential elections because his family is from Burkina Faso. (more…)