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Massive Uprising Escalates Ongoing Crisis in Côte d'Ivoire
April 1, 2011
By: Chinyelu Odunze | Printer Friendly

A massive uprising to depose sitting President Laurent Gbagbo erupted in Côte d'Ivoire.  Internationally-recognized President Alassane Ouattara's prime minister called on supporters to take to the streets, like in Egypt, to break the post-election stalemate. There is anti-Gbagbo sentiment because Gbagbo refuses to cede power even though results certified by the United Nations (UN) showed that former opposition leader Ouattara won the country’s November 28, 2010 election. In addition to the UN, Ouattara has also been recognized as the new president by the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The BBC News reports that forces loyal to Ouattara are making gains on Gbagbo. UN troops in the country have now taken control of the Abidjan airport, officials from the organization said. According to AllAfrica.com, Ouattara's Republican Forces have taken a strong hold of the western and central parts of the country over the past week. On March 30, the rebels captured the country's administrative capital, Yamoussoukro, and reportedly reached Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire's largest city and Gbagbo's last major base of support. The New York Times reports that the rebels even went as far as to enclose the presidential palace and  the residence where Gbagbo is currently seeking refuge.

The government security forces largely back Gbagbo, while the New Forces former rebels – who still control the north of the country – support Ouattara. Although civilian killings have come largely at the hands of Gbagbo’s forces, both sides in the fighting have been accused of atrocities.

As rebels swept across Côte d'Ivoire aiming to oust Gbagbo, hundreds of people were killed in a town last week, reports the New York Times. The exact number of dead is unclear. The UN said that 330 people had been killed, while aid organizations put the death toll as high as 1,000. Humanitarian workers did not say who was responsible, but the UN said that more than 100 had been killed by Gbagbo’s fighters, while about 200 had been killed by forces loyal to Ouattara. Ouattara’s government issued a statement denying responsibility for atrocities in any part of the country.

Previously, the Associated Press reported that witnesses say security forces fired on protesters in Abidjan. The witnesses said military police encircled a group of Ouattara supporters in the Abobo district on February 20, before opening fire. There were reports of several injured, though their numbers could not be independently verified. The Economist also reported that on March 3, Gbagbo’s men gunned down seven unarmed women in Abidjan, who had been peacefully protesting against him. The international community later denounced the crackdown as an atrocity.

On March 19, the BBC News reported that Charles Ble Goude, a key Gbagbo ally called on younth activists to join the army and “liberate” the country.  Goude also urged the activists to fight Ouattara’s supporters. Consequently, as of March 21, thousands of Gbagbo supporters gathered at an army base to enlist, amid fears the crisis could destabilize West Africa. The prospective recruits chanted slogans such as "the rebels will die," reports Reuters news agency. The Gbagbo supporters aim to seize control of the rebel-held north.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 90,000 people have crossed into neighboring Liberia as a result of the fighting. The head of the UN Refugee Agency, Antonio Guterres said that approximately 500,000 people had fled their homes inside Côte d'Ivoire. Guterres also stated the conflict could reverberate throughout the West African region. "The risks of destabilizing the region are enormous," he told the BBC's Network Africa program.  According to the BBC News, the longer Gbagbo stays in power, the more likely other countries in the region will get sucked into the mayhem. In the past civil unrest has spread contagiously back and forth through nearby Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, leaving hundreds of thousands dead and several million in humanitarian crisis.

The UN Security Council reports that the African Union and ECOWAS are committed to resolving the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire in a way that preserves democracy and peace. They further affirm their readiness to impose measures, including targeted sanctions, against all parties who obstruct the attempts of a speedy and peaceful resolution of the crisis, further obstruct the work of the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire and other international actors in the country, and commit serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.  Additionally, the Voice of America reported the United States and European Union have imposed a series of travel and financial sanctions on the Gbagbo government.

According to the BBC News, no one is sure how it will all end. Most agree that Gbagbo will not easily be displaced. Some think the street violence will worsen, perhaps ending in an all out civil war. Others speculate that, once cornered, Gbagbo will opt for exile in a friendly country beyond the reach of the International Criminal Court at The Hague, which already has its eyes on him.

As of March 31, according to the BBC News, it seems as if it may soon be “game over” for Gbagbo as most of his loyalists, including police units and the head of the army, have defected. It is believed that the police and the paramilitary gendarmerie have gone over to Ouattara’s camp, leaving only the presidential guard and militia forces defending Gbagbo. The head of Ouattara's parallel government, Guillaume Soro, said Gbagbo had only a few hours left in power. "The game is over for Gbagbo. It is finished," he told Reuters in Yamoussoukro.

Côte d'Ivoire, the world's largest cocoa producer, used to enjoy the highest living standards in West Africa. The November 2010 presidential election was supposed to reunite the country following a civil war, when the New Forces rebels seized the north in 2002. However, Gbagbo refuses to cede power on the basis that there was widespread fraud in areas under New Forces control.

For previous news on the Ivory Coast, please see:
Risk of Civil War in the Cote d'Ivoire as Gbagbo Refuses to Cede Power

Sources:
AllAfrica.com - Cote d'Ivoire US, UN Press Gbagbo to Yield

Associated Press - Ivory Coast Police Open Fire on Crowd

BBC News - Ivory Coast: Laurent Gbagbo Supporters ‘Join Army’

BBC News - Ivory Coast: Ouattara forces promise Abidjan offensive

BBC News - Ivory Coast: Ouattara forces surround Gbagbo in Abidjan

BBC News - Will the Bad Leader be Squeezed Out?

Economist - Don’t Forget It: The Arabs’ turmoil must not deflect attention from other equally bloody crises

New York Times – Hundreds Killed in Ivory Coast Town as Conflict Intensifies

United Nations - Security Council Press Statement on Côte d’Ivoire

Voice of America - Ivory Coast Rivals Battle Near Abidjan Barracks