Why has fighting started?
The fighting seen in Ivory Coast has its roots in the presidential elections held in November 2010. Alassane Ouattara was elected by 54 per cent of the vote; the election was monitored by the UN and was lauded as free and transparent. However,Ivory Coasts constitutional council dubiously revised the vote,annulling a large percentage of Ouattaras vote and thereby making the incumbent Laurent Gbagbo the legitimate president. Gbagbo refuses to step down despite international recognition to Ouattaras win.
How have the election and its outcome again ignited sectarian tensions?
It was hoped that the November elections would unite the country after the 2002 civil war that had divided the north and the south. The north is predominantly Muslim and the south Christian. The north-south divide can be traced back to the policies of independent Ivory Coasts first president,Felix Houphouet-Boigny. As wars gripped Africa in the 1960s and 1970s,Houphouet-Boigny invited Africans to come settle in then-prosperous Ivory Coast,largely to work on its abundant cocoa plantations. He also allowed settlers to own land they worked on. With his death,divisions were born between immigrant and native,north and south and Muslim and Christian. Ouattara is a northern Muslim; he was prevented from participating in Ivory Coasts first elections due to his mothers ethnicity. Gbagbo has reignited the Ivoirite (Ivorian-ness) sentiment to stay in power.
Who are the two men at the forefront of this election battle?
Laurent Gbagbo came to power in 2000. Formerly an opposition member,it was he who challenged heavyweight Houphouet-Boignys one-party state. His supporters have been accused of xenophobia,and have attacked Muslims and immigrants. His nom de guerre is little brother and his support base is the Christian south. His election campaign was titled we win or we win. An economist by training,Alassane Ouattara,known as Ado by his supporters spent much of his career at the International Monetary Fund. His attempts to run for presidential elections were barred twice; his mother is from Burkina Faso. Ouattaras supporters come largely from the Muslim north. It is his supporters,the rebels or New Forces that are fighting Gbagbos army.
Why was Duekoue targeted?
Duekoue is strategically important,as it is the gateway to the countrys cocoa crop heartland. The town has been at the centre of the Ivoirite debate. The Red Cross estimates that 800 civilians were killed by guns and machetes on March 29. This attack took place as Ouattaras troops moved towards Abidjan. The UN mission in Ivory Coast claims that it was the Dozos (traditional headhunters) who recently united with Ouattaras forces that are responsible for the killing,though he has been quick to distance himself.
Where is the fighting centred now?
The coastal city of Abidjan. Despite it being Gbagbos power base,the rebels have advanced to the city. Though they have captured much of the country,the conclusive battle for power will be in Abidjan where Gbagbos most reliable fighters are located. This is the 2500-strong elite Republic Guard. Food and essential supplies have run out as wide spread looting is reported; the UN has accused pro-Ouattara forces of firing shells into residential areas. Gbagbos presidential palace is protected by the elite forces and Ouattara has formed his government in a hotel. It is estimated that one million people have fled Abidjan alone (UN figures).
Is this civil war again?
By international law,this would be civil war but there have been no official declarations of war. It was only after a coalition of former rebel groups united that Ouattara had an army (the Republican Forces of Ivory Coast FRCI),though this coalition is not united on domestic issues. Ouattara has been encouraged by senior-level defections from the Gbagbo camp. Five months of violence have led to more than 1,300 killed (according to UN official estimates) and aid agencies expect a quarter of a million refugees to arrive in neighbouring Liberia by the end of June thus far,80,000 have already arrived. Liberia is one of Africas poorest countries and an appeal to raise 25 million pounds has been launched.
What is the international communitys response?
Rarely has the international community responded with such unanimity; the African Union (AU),Ecowas (the West African Regional Body),the UN and the EU have all called on Gbagbo to step down. Sanctions and cocoa export bans have been imposed to force him out. But deadlines have been ignored by Gbagbo,the AU ordered him to step down on March 24. The International Criminal Court has looked into investigating Gbagbo for crimes against humanity. There are 12,000 UN peacekeepers in Ivory Coast; the missions mandate allows them to intervene but there are worries of dragging peacekeepers into combat. The French have 1,400 members as part of an agreement with the United Nations Operation in Cote dIvoire (UNOCI). They have been tasked with taking control of the Abidjan airport.
