March 25, 2004
The Ivory Coast has been divided between north and south - between rebels and national army - since September 2002. A peace deal brokered by France in January 2003 has yet to be fully implemented and looks to be on the verge of collapse. BBC News Online looks at the reasons behind the conflict and whether peace and prosperity can return.
What Happened to the Peace Accord?
The power-sharing "government of unity" outlined in the peace pact has never lived up to its name. The former ruling party - the Democratic Party (PDCI) - pulled out at the beginning of March 2004, accusing President Laurent Gbagbo of "destabilising the peace process". In protest over killings in Abidjan on 25 March, the ex-rebels, now called the New Forces (FN), and the main opposition party, the Rally of the Republicans, announced they are also withdrawing from the government. The disarmament programme - supposed to begin on 8 March - has also so far failed to kick off in any meaningful way. The FN stated that they did not want to disarm until free and fair elections had taken place in 2005.
Why Did Fighting Break Out?
The uprising began on 19 September 2002 with a mutiny by troops unhappy at being demobilised. But it quickly turned into a full-scale rebellion, voicing the unhappiness of northern Muslims at what they saw as discrimination by the government of President Laurent Gbagbo. Opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, a northern Muslim, was barred from standing in presidential elections because of a new law which said that presidential candidates must be born in Ivory Coast and both parents must be Ivorian. He was accused of being from Burkina Faso, even though he had previously been prime minister of Ivory Coast. For some Muslims, this symbolised their marginalisation.
Why Was the Law Changed?
Southern politicians expressed fears of being "swamped" by immigrants. Ivory Coast used to be West Africa's richest country. It is the world's largest producer of cocoa, the raw ingredient of chocolate. During the time of President Felix Houphouet-Boigny, immigrants from its poorer neighbours were encouraged to do the dirty work in Ivory Coast. Foreigners, mainly from Burkina Faso and Mali, are estimated to count for a third of the population. In the 1990s, the economy started to go downhill and Ivorians began to resent such a large foreign presence. It was then that former president Henri Konan Bedie introduced the concept of "Ivoirite", or Ivorianness.
Why Does Ivory Coast Matter?
Neighbours Burkina Faso and Liberia have been accused of backing the rebellion. They have denied this but it raises the nightmare scenario of other countries being dragged into the conflict. There have been several xenophobic attacks on Muslims and foreigners in government-controlled areas. Since the conflict began, many thousands of these African expatriate workers have returned to their home countries. This has already hurt the whole region as poor countries lose valuable remittance earnings. Most French-speaking West African countries share the same currency, the CFA franc, and instability in Ivory Coast has hit investment and confidence across the region.
What is the French Interest?
France is the former colonial power and has had a military base in Abidjan since the 1960s. France guarantees the CFA franc and its businesses still dominate the economy. Until anti-French protests led Paris to urge "non-essential" citizens to leave, there were 16,000 French nationals in Ivory Coast. French troops have also been monitoring a ceasefire line across the middle of the country. This is why France was so determined to push all the sides together and get them to agree to end the fighting and form a national unity government.
Why the Anti-French Feeling?
Because of the peace deal brokered by the French. Rebels say they were promised the key defence and interior ministries under a power-sharing agreement, although this does not appear in the official text. Supporters of Mr Gbagbo in the commercial capital, Abidjan, accuse the French of forcing him to sign this deal. Since the conflict broke out, Mr Gbagbo has said the French army should have intervened to protect him, as a democratically elected leader.
So What Happens Next?
The situation is not looking good. With the power-sharing government on the rocks, any prospect of differences being resolved at the negotiating table is receding. The presence of international peacekeepers is being seen as increasingly important to prevent a return to fighting and to help with any disarmament if it can happen. The UN is now preparing to send 6,240 peacekeepers to the country in early April to support around 4,000 French and 1,400 West African troops already there.
More Information on Ivory Coast
