Côte d'Ivoire
Featured Publications & Tools
This Peace Brief reviews the factors that continue to divide Ivorian communities and stall the peace process in Côte d’Ivoire and provides reflections of a meeting of Ivorian civil society and religious leaders in Washington, D.C.
Some 100,000 people have fled Cote d’Ivoire and nearly one million are displaced amid post-election violence and fears of an all-out civil war. USIP’s Dorina Bekoe examines what sparked this current crisis and possible ways to address the country’s deep-rooted problems.
This Peace Brief examines the political stalemate in Côte d’Ivoire following the November 28, 2010, presidential election and its implications for the future.
Latest from USIP on Côte d'Ivoire
- January 6, 2012 | Publication
USIP leaders explain the effect that events around the world and here at home will have on the U.S., and the contributions the Institute can and does make during a time of tremendous challenge – and opportunity.
- September 1, 2011 | Publication
The need for collaborative, multilateral action at the United Nations and on global problems is growing, but so are the budgetary pressures on the U.S. government’s foreign affairs spending. That collision of factors provides the context for a scene-setting address at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) by Esther Brimmer, the assistant secretary of State for International Organization Affairs.
- September 1, 2011 | Publication
Read about USIP’s on-the-ground and region-specific work aimed at helping prevent conflict in Africa, the Middle East, South and Northeast Asia.
- August 2, 2011 | Publication
The elected presidents of four Francophone countries in West Africa, appearing at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on July 28, called for consolidating democratic advances in their countries after what for most has been a debilitating period of conflict, dictatorship and political struggle.
USIP works with partners to support civil society efforts geared toward preventing electoral violence in Côte d'Ivoire. The Institute worked with civil society organizations as they prepared for the October 2010 presidential elections, including providing support for the training of domestic electoral monitors. USIP continues to track the crisis situation and offer analysis on the political stalemate in Côte d'Ivoire.
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The Current Situation
July 2011
The swearing in of Alassane Ouattara as President on May 21 officially ended the political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, which began in November 2010, when incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to accept defeat. However, as emphasized in a USIP public event on April 29, the way forward in Côte d’Ivoire will be very difficult. Social and political reconciliation are two of the top priorities in building peace after nearly five months of violence. Human rights organizations have documented extensive abuses committed by both pro-Gbagbo forces and pro-Ouattara forces. As such, social and political reconciliation must acknowledge the atrocities committed by both sides, in order to reduce the likelihood of future violence.
Furthermore, the structure, purpose, and members of the truth and reconciliation commission promised by Ouattara must carefully consider the ethnic nature of the violence carried out by both sides. The USIP event emphasized that the lack of clarity over land tenure, poor ethnic relations, security sector indiscipline, the lack of economic diversification, and poor political party development, which have played a significant role in fueling political, regional, and religious divisions, must be addressed in order for Côte d’Ivoire to effectively emerge from the cycle of violence that has gripped the nation since 1999.
Read More: USIP tracks the situation in Cote d'Ivoire
Going Forward: USIP Goals Regarding Cote d'Ivoire
USIP partners with the West African Network for Peacebuilding-Côte d'Ivoire (WANEP-CI) in an effort to build the capacity of Ivorian civil society organizations and contribute to the peaceful resolution of the Ivorian crisis. The USIP-sponsored project of WANEP-CI on monitoring political violence in Côte d'Ivoire released its third report in January 2011, focusing on the violent events following the November run-off.
Multimedia
Watch, listen and learn as USIP experts and events address issues regarding Côte d'Ivoire:
- Listen to audio from USIP event "What's next for Côte d'Ivoire?" - April 29, 2011
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