Ivory Coast

 

Country Profile
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa got independence from France on  August 7,1960.

Félix Houphouët-Boigny,first President of the Country


Félix Houphouët-Boigny affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux, was the 1st President of  (Originally a village chief, he worked as a doctor, an administrator of a plantation, and a union leader, before being elected to the French Parliament and serving in a number of ministerial positions in the French Govt.)Served as the President of the country from Nov 03,1960 to Dec 07,1993 - until his death.At the time of his death, Houphouët-Boigny was the longest-serving leader in Africa and the third in the world, after Fidel Castro of Cuba and Kim II Sung of North Korea

Since the end of Houphouët-Boigny's rule, Côte d'Ivoire has experienced one coup d’état, in 1999, and a  Civil War which broke out in 2002.

coup d’état, in 1999


In late 1999, a group of dissatisfied officers staged a military coup putting General Robert Guei in power. Aimé Henri Konan Bédié (President of the country from 1993 after the death of Félix Houphouët-Boigny) fled into exile in France.

Presidential Election  in October 2000


A presidential election was held in October 2000 in which Laurent Gbagbo  vied with Guéï, but it was peaceful. The lead-up to the election was marked by military and civil unrest. Following a public uprising that resulted in around 180 deaths, Guéï was swiftly replaced by Laurent Gbagbo.

Civil War in 2002

In the early hours of 19 September 2002, while the President Laurent Gbagbo was in Italy, there was an armed uprising. Troops who were to be demobilised mutinied, launching attacks in several cities. The battle for the main gendarmerie barracks in Abidjan lasted until mid-morning, but by lunchtime the government forces had secured the main city, Abidjan. They had lost control of the north of the country, and the rebel forces made their strong-hold in the northern city of Bouake. The rebels threatened to move on Abidjan again and France deployed troops from its base in the country to stop any rebel advance.

What exactly happened that night is disputed. The government claimed that former president Robert Guéï had led a coup attempt, and state TV showed pictures of his dead body in the street; counter-claims stated that he and fifteen others had been murdered at his home and his body had been moved to the streets to incriminate him.

Govt. of National Unity in January 2003

In January 2003, LaurentGbagbo and rebel leaders signed accords creating a "government of national unity". Curfews were lifted and French troops patrolled the western border of the country. The unity government was unstable and the central problems remained with neither side achieving its goals.

Laurent Gbagbo's original mandate as President expired on 30 October 2005, but due to the lack of disarmament it was deemed impossible to hold an election, and therefore his term in office was extended for a maximum of one year according to a plan worked out by the 'African Union'

With the late October deadline approaching in 2006, it was regarded as very unlikely that the election would be held by that point, and the opposition and the rebels rejected the possibility of another term extension for Gbagbo.The UN Security Council endorsed another one-year extension of Gbagbo's term on 1 November 2006; however, the resolution provided for the strengthening of Prime  Charles Konan Banny'  s powers. Gbagbo said the next day that elements of the resolution deemed to be constitutional violations would not be applied.A peace accord between the government and the rebelsor 'New Forces' was signed on March 04, 2007, and subsequently Guillaume Soro  leader of the New Forces, became PM.

Presidential Elections in Nov 2010( should have been organized in 2005 but postponed)


The preliminary results announced on Dec 02,2010 by the Electoral Commission showed a loss for Gbagbo in favour of his rival, former PM Alassane Ouattara . Ouattara had won the election by a margin off 54% to 46%. which was rejected by the Gbagbo-aligned Constitutional Council.  The ruling FPI contested the results before the Constitutional Council, charging massive fraud in the northern departments controlled by the rebels of the Forces Nouvelle de Cote d'Ivoire  (FNCI). These charges were contradicted by international observers.The report of the results led to severe tension and violent incidents. The Constitutional Council, which consists of Gbagbo supporters, declared the results of seven northern departments unlawful and that Gbagbo had won the elections with 51% of the vote (instead of Ouattara winning with 54%, as reported by the Electoral Commission). After the inauguration of Gbagbo, Ouattara, recognized as the winner by most countries and the United Nations, organized an alternative inauguration. These events raised fears of a resurgence of the civil war; thousands of refugees have fled the country.

2011 Civil War

After months of unsuccessful negotiations and sporadic violence, the crisis entered a critical stage as Ouattara's forces seized control of most of the country, with Gbagbo entrenched in Abidjan, the country's largest city. International organizations reported numerous instances of human rights violations by both sides. UN and French forces took military action against Gbagbo. Gbagbo was taken into custody after a raid into his residence.

December 2011 Parliamentary Elections

Alassane Ouattara's RDR wins Parliamentary Elections

 The Parliamentary elections was held in Côte d'Ivoire  on Dec 11, 2011(after the Presidential Election which was held in Nov 2010. This followed a peace agreement between the government and the New Forces (former rebels) that was signed in March 2007)
The Party of President Alassane Ouattara has won most seats in Ivory Coast's parliamentary elections - the first poll since ex-leader Laurent Gbagbo was arrested.Alassane Ouattara's Party( RDR) gained just under half the 255 seats, while the allied PDCI won 77 to ensure a large majority.

Laurent Gbagbo's Party boycotted the poll in protest after he was sent to The Hague(awaiting trial on charges of crimes against humanity at the ICC)

Ouattara dissolves Ivorian government over marriage law

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has sacked his government in a row over a new marriage law on Tuesday Nov 13,2012.
Ouattara's party supported the changes but the members of the ruling coalition were opposed.
Like many African countries, Ivory Coast's law currently recognises the husband as head of the household, responsible for all major decisions - a situation Mr Ouattara's RDR wanted to change.
The strongest opposition came from the PDCI for the new marriage law which would make wives joint heads of the household.

Stampede at 2013 New Year’s Celebration Kills Many

 

The panic struck as the crowd of thousands was leaving the sprawling stadium in the downtown Plateau neighborhood after the last fireworks had signaled the new year.Many were pushed into a small gully adjoining the Houphouët-Boigny stadium on the Boulevard de la République, in the heart of the city’s compact central business district, then were crushed as the panicked crowd surged over them.In the crush, dozens were trampled underfoot and at least 60 people were killed.