Open Letter: Ivory Coast, the war against civilians

“The Gbagbo mafia is struggling first and foremost for power,” affirms a group of experts on West Africa, who are concerned about the “risk that the situation will escalate into a civil war”

JANUARY 31, 2011

Laurent Gbagbo is clinging to power after rejecting the results of the presidential elections, as declared by the Independent Electoral Commission, certified by the UN, and recognized by the international community, designating Alassane Ouattara as the clear winner.

There is now a real risk that the situation will escalate into civil war. In pro-opposition neighborhoods of Abidjan, numerous individuals have disappeared in the wake of operations by security forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo. News reports have shown corpses lying in the streets, while morgues have refused to release the bodies of those killed to their families. Converging accounts have led the UN to suspect the existence of mass graves and the incineration of bodies, but Gbabgo's security forces have prevented investigations of the alleged sites. Outside Abidjan, particularly in the western region, NGOs are reporting incidents of serious violence against the civilian population.

As scholars professionally committed to a rigorous analysis of the situation, we must insist that there is no evidence for any primal hatred between supposedly rival ethnic groups, nor for that matter between local populations and foreigners, between northerners and southerners, much less between Muslims and Christians. This is not to deny the existence of sharp, long-lasting tensions, particularly over access to land. However, the interplay of intersecting interests has generally allowed Ivoirians to implement negotiated solutions to such recurrent disputes. Moreover, Côte d'Ivoire, a country with a long history of mixing, remains a trans-ethnic, cosmopolitan, multi-religious "melting pot." In any "civil" war, who would fight against whom? The answer is anything but obvious.

In the past few weeks, accumulated fears, resentment, and greed have fuelled violent clashes among different segments of the population in the west of the country. However, it is essential to stress the resilience of the overwhelming majority of Ivoirians on all sides of the political spectrum who are confronting the crisis without resorting to violence. On the national scale, Laurent Gbagbo's supporters are just a vociferous and agitated minority who monopolize the state media they have hijacked. We should not overestimate their numbers.

Laurent Gbagbo has justified his actions in terms of the defense of national sovereignty, brandishing the specter of the country falling prey to foreign influences. This is a diversionary tactic. His political opponents are just as patriotic and just as concerned with developing the national economy in a more equal partnership with Western (or other) powers. Whatever its claims, the Gbagbo regime has hardly turned its back on the "predatory foreigners" it purports to ward off.  Over the past ten years, it has depended on extensive politico-commercial networks in France and elsewhere. Not to mention the recourse to Liberian and other international mercenaries for controlling the Ivorian population.

To the extent that there is any real ideological difference between the two camps, it centers on their conception of citizenship. The Gbagbo regime promotes an ethno-nationalist vision: only members of indigenous ethnic groups from the south of Côte d'Ivoire may claim a fully legitimate, or ‘natural', right to civic participation - a citizenship ‘by blood'. In this conception, electors from the northern regions, assimilated to ‘foreigners', are relegated to the status of second-class citizens. Annulling the votes of districts in the north and the center of the country is thus consistent with this logic. The opposition claims a republican conception of citizenship, founded on the principal of equality and according civic rights to all those born in the Côte d'Ivoire, a far remove from the ‘divine right' claimed by Gbagbo.

But ideology is undoubtedly not the key to understanding the ongoing crisis. The Gbagbo mafia is struggling first and foremost for power; for an exclusive hold on power, for the very enjoyment of power, with all its attendant material benefits. How, one might ask, can civilians freely and openly express dissent when the thugs of the outgoing regime exact merciless reprisals against anyone expressing overt opposition or who is even suspected of voting for the wrong candidate?

A group of experts on Cote d'Ivoire and West Africa:

Michel Agier (Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales or EHESS, Paris), Emmanuel Akyeampong (Harvard), Jean Allman (Washington University in St. Louis), Jean-Loup Amselle (EHESS), Kwame Anthony Appiah (Princeton), Karel Arnaut (Ghent University, Belgium), Ralph Austen (University of Chicago), Cheikh Anta Babou (University of Pennsylvania), Georges Balandier (EHESS), Issaka Bagayogo (ISFRA- Université de Bamako), Richard Banégas (Université de Paris 1), Thomas Bassett (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Jean-François Bayart (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique or CNRS, France), Laurent Bazin (CNRS), Laurence Becker (Oregon State University), Sara Berry (Johns Hopkins University), Chantal Blanc-Pamard (CNRS), Pierre Boilley (Université de Paris 1), Catherine Boone (University of Texas at Austin), Christian Bouquet (Université de Bordeaux, France), Sylvie Bredeloup (Institut Recherche Développement or IRD, France), William Gervase Clarence-Smith (School of Oriental and African Studies or SOAS, University of London), Jean-Paul Colleyn (EHESS), Barbara Cooper (Rutgers University), Souleymane Bachir Diagne (Columbia University), Mamadou Diouf (Columbia University), Jean-Pierre Dozon (EHESS), Stephen Ellis (Afrika-Studiecentrum, Leiden), Sandra Fancello (CNRS), Boris Gobille (Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France), Alma Gottlieb (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Sean Hanretta (The University of Florida), Joseph Hellweg (Florida State University), Gilles Holder (CNRS), Paulin Hountondji (Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Benin), Anne Hugon (Université de Paris 1), Sharon Hutchinson (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Biodun Jeyifo (Harvard), Bennetta Jules-Rosette (University of California San Diego), Ousmane Kane (Columbia), Ousman Kobo (Ohio State University), Eric Lanoue (ARES, France), Robert Launay (Northwestern University), Marie Nathalie Le Blanc (Université du Québec à Montréal), Marc Le Pape (CNRS), Barbara Lewis (Rutgers University), Bruno Losch (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement ou CIRAD, France), Ruth Marshall (University of Toronto), André Mary (CNRS), Achille Mbembe (University of Wittwatersrand, South Africa), Elikia M'Bokolo (EHESS), Michael McGovern (Yale), Marie Miran-Guyon (EHESS), Richard Moncrieff, Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan (EHESS), Jacob Olupona (Harvard University), J.D.Y. Peel (SOAS, University of London), Claude-Hélène Perrot (Université de Paris 1), Ato Quayson (University of Toronto), David Robinson (Michigan State University), Ruediger Seesemann (Northwestern University), Benjamin Soares (Afrika-Studiecentrum, Leiden), Emmanuel Terray (EHESS), Jean-Louis Triaud (Université de Provence, France), Claudine Vidal (CNRS), Laurent Vidal (IRD), Leonardo Villalon (The University of Florida).

Colleagues living or having family in Côte d'Ivoire have not been included for reasons of security. 

A shorter version was published in Le Monde, January 19, 2011.

 
Facebook|Twitter|Reddit

AKU

9:25 AM ET

February 1, 2011

Misinformation about the crisis in cote d'ivoire

what the international community is not saying is that the UN Rep who endorsed the constitutional council's pronouncement of the election results in the first round "jumped the gun" in the second round. Question is why is it that only in the second round the international community starts talking about the president of the CC as an aly of Gbagbo? Can we also say that the head of the EC is an aly of Outtara? So who wins the fight, the ivorian people or two corrupt politicians? Another question is why did the Electoral Commissioner, while all were waiting for him at the agreed site to seek redress, decided to go to the Golf Hotel ALONE without his team, to pronounce the results-all by himself? There are claims that in the Northern regions under rebel control, more votes than registered voters were turned in, WHY does the international community not seem to be interested in VERIFYING these allegations before endorsing the UN Rep's declaration of the winner (made before the constitutional council's endorsement or otherwise)? Why the double standards in Africa? What happened to the rule of law?

 

NICEWICCA

7:47 PM ET

February 1, 2011

Comments

The difference between the International Comunity views over the post-election crisis in Ivory Coast and the population of Ivory Coast is due to the fact that the people living here knows that the results of the elections as certified by UN are totally impossible and absurd.

The UN refused any investigation on the claim of frauds, but the Ivorians have seem the alleged proves of the acusation have been widelly displayed on the media. like Ballons with 140% of votes pro-ouatara, reports with fake signatures and victims of violence who speak up on TV. Why not to investigate? As a logical resoaning the population assumed that the refuse of investigating is an admission that the frauds really happened and the UN is afraid of loosing its public face.

If you research on internet you will find UN representatives talking about the low number of voters at the second turn of the elections. Around 70% of the registred voters have cast their votes, but the victory of Alassane Ouatara is based on 81% of the possible votes.

If you talk to the people here, you are going to get Constitutional law lessons even for illiterate people. The art. 94 of the Ivorian Constitution makes very clear that the Constitutional Council is the institution with the right to judge and announce the results for presidential elections.

For the Ivorians, Democracy cannot be build without independency, they want respect for their Soveriengt, respect for their Constitution and institutions. This doesn't sound a discriminating racist position.

I am not say there is no discrimination problems, I am saying this has to be discussed in a serious way not as an empty accusation and excuse to downgrade the public opinion.

Besides, since 2002 the Norh of the country is suffering under the rule of the rebels. The Government collects no taxes there. The population believes that farmers cannot produce and the most of the minerals and natural resources are smugled through neighbors countries. Why the west media don't mention the lifestyle and personnal wealth of the Com-zones, the chefs of the guerrilla supporting Alassane Ouatara ? Why nobody cares about the victims of their crimes?

Mr. Ouatara effort to keep as victim of discrimination is really tiring. By law he is Ivorian. The former regulation that prevent him to be a candidate in 2002, demanded that the candidates to the higher office have never reject its nationality and to have lived in the country for 5 years, it would sound very resonable in any Western country.
Mr. Ouatara national identity is a sensitive issue. He arrived as an Official of the IMF imposed by the west to the former dictator. In order to assume the position of prime minister he retrieved his Ivorian Nationality. He is Ivorian by jus solis, born from expat parents, and had no reason to be Ivorian until been posted in that priviledge position.

Ivory Coast has immigration problems.
To try to understand it, imagine an Italian family for example. In the 50's three brothers separated themselves one went to USA, the other to Brazil and the third one stayed in Italy. Their Children share a similar origin, but have diferent nationalities. The ones born abroad may request their ancestral nationality, but the one born in Italy cannot arrive in ÜSA or Brazil and expect to become American or Brazilian citzen on the same day.

Many foreign workers are here for many years, others have arrived later. Poor civil records specially in rural zones make difficult to some people prove where they were born and how long they have been in the country. Because the ethinc groups are spread through many countries the same family name may include people from different nationalities.

That is not the case of Mr. Ouatara. He knows his roots and his personal history is well documented.

 

MONKEYDUBIOUS

6:21 AM ET

February 2, 2011

Great Letter: Sums up the "Ivorian Problem" Perfectly

@NICEWICCA,
There is no difference between what people in Ivory coast believe and what the "international community" thinks. Everyone in Cote d'Ivore that can think a little know very well the Gbagbo lost the elections. What you are referring to as susch are a tiny minority who do not think.

The UN never refused any investigations into Electoral fraud, they in fact took all complaints lodged by Gbagbo's clan and cancelled the votes in those areas of contention, and that, without a question. The results after all, read ALL, complaints of Gbagbo were considered, was 54% for Allasane Ouattara and 46% for Laurent Gbagbo, simple. The misguided allegations that there were 40% more votes than voters in some places have never been proven, even the constitutional council failed to prove this to this date, 2.02.2011.

Would you also be as kind as to point us out to the internet sites where UN officials talk of 70% turnout after the vote count was complete? There is no such reference in the internet. If you are talking of the algebra skills of the Constitutional council, please read up on their errors on this site http://hotelivory.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/a-second-look-at-the-second-round/

The constitutional council broke the very laws it is supposed to safe-guard and created laws on-the-fly live on national TV. Article 64 of the Ivorian constitution gives the body the right to declare votes given to them by the Electoral commission as valid or invalid. If invalid they have to declare a new election date within 45 day of the invalidation. The travesties of that Kangaroo court can be read in detail in the report issued by the EU election observer mission here http://eueom.eu/files/pressreleases/english/executive-summary-25012010_en.pdf . The constitutional council in every possible way violated the sovereignty of the Ivorian population by disenfranchising them of their right to chose their leader.

Questioning Allasane Ouattara's nationality now is a sure sign of sore losers. This did not seem an issue prior to elections, it only became an issue after the first round where Gbagbo was not sure of his own popularity. A quick dive into the bag of cheap and dirty tricks gave him the nationality card. The same bag is now giving him the anti-ECOWAS card, anti-UN card, anti-Imperialist card, the anti-world card..what next? the Anti-God card?

 

NICEWICCA

6:01 PM ET

February 2, 2011

to continue the conversation

If you put together the total results of the Elections, including the valid and invalid votes, you have 47% of the voters voting for Gbagbo. Is that the irrelevante minority you are refering to?
Well considering that there were only 5 millions of registred voters for a population estimated in around 20 million.
Maybe you are right and their vote and opinion does not mean much, but in this case it would be nonsense considering these elections as a valid indication of the will of the people.

Do you have any idea of how many UN observes were in the Savanes,Bandama e Worodougou? How many registred voters? or what are the allegations to exclude the votes? What are the living conditions there? how many armed rebels are active there?
Maybe some of these information was used by the Constitutional Council to make a decision.

UN believed that the elections have runned without major peoblems and because of that there were no reason to investigate or recount the votes (by the way Ban Ki Moon thinks recount votes is a big injustice).
There were no investigation on the claims by the part of UN. Mr. Choy certified the provisional results and considered them final. No need for explanations. Discussing the decision was said to be an attack to the UN credibility.

I could not see the connection of the work of the Constitutional Council and the the Article 64 of the Ivorian Constitution. I quoted it so maybe you may explain it for me. How it has been violated by the Higher Court of Ivory Coast: the Constitutional Council.

"Le compte rendu intégral des débats de l'Assemblée nationale est publié au Journal officiel des débats.
L'Assemblée Nationale peut siéger en comité à huis-clos à la demande du Président de la République ou du tiers des députés."

I was refering to the articles that refering to the
Article 94, that specify the role of the Constitutional Council on the presidential Elections.

"Le Conseil constitutionnel contrôle la régularité des opérations de référendum et en proclame les résultats.

Le Conseil statue sur :

* L'éligibilité des candidats aux élections présidentielle et législative ;
* Les contestations relatives à l'élection du Président de la République et des députés. Le Conseil constitutionnel proclame les résultats définitifs des élections présidentielles."

And the coment about Alassane Ouatrara's nationality was a historical reference to the beguining of the war, when Ouatara was not allowed to compete because of the nationality issue and in response gathered some mercenaries and militar of low patent and started the attack to Cote d'Ivoire. That was 2002 and since then the country is divided.
As part of the Ouagadugu Agreement to the elections, Ouatara has been granted his right to run for president and Soro has been nominated Prime Minister for Gbagbo and charged with the power to organize the 2010 elections. Another concession was let Bédie compete waiving the age limit requirement.

I will keep looking for the Choy comments on the low turn out for the 2nd turn. The links I had from Cnn and BBC seems to not work very well, I must have done some wrong copy and paste. I send to you as soon as I get it straigh.

 

MONKEYDUBIOUS

8:00 AM ET

February 5, 2011

Smell the coffee NICEWICCA

"If you put together the total results of the Elections, including the valid and invalid votes, you have 47% of the voters voting for Gbagbo"
-There you go, Gbagbo lost with with the world watching. I am glad you noticed. The Counting of "invalid votes" is a new phenomena.. Everyone knows the votes that were rendered "invalid" were those of Allasane Ouattara. Even with vote stuffing, violence, intimidation, control of state media, diversion of public funds, imposition of curfews on election night, recruitment of mercenaries to intimidate the opposition and outright thuggish conduct throughout, Gbagbo could only Garner 46% of the vote.

There were as many observers up in the North as in the south of the country relative to the population. The number of registered voters which all parties agreed to can be found here, http://www.abidjan.net/elections2010/Resultats/2emetour/#carte . Also recall, Gbagbo sent 4,500 of his "loyal" troops up to the North to oversee the elections and they reported back that all went without incident.

Let me also remind you that all the complaints that were lodged by Laurent Gbagbo were all taken into consideration by the Electoral Commission. The votes in any areas in question were all cancelled and the result was 54% for Allasane Ouattara and 46% for Gbagbo. It is the same complaints lodged to the electoral committee that were passed on to the kangaroo constitutional council.

The UN had observers all over the place and so did other institutions such as the EU, Francophone countries, Carter Centre.. etc. The Carter Center went as far as saying " In the north and central parts of the country, tensions were less evident due to the relative homogeneity of the population." For your reference: http://cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/news/peace_publications/election_reports/cote-divoire-prelim-113010.pdf
The EU observer mission confirmed that intimidation and violence was nearly exclusively from the ex-president Gbagbo's camp. For your reference again: http://eueom.eu/files/pressreleases/english/executive-summary-25012010_en.pdf . Please read the EU report on the link for explanations as to why the Ivorian constitutional council is a Kangaroo court that breaks the very laws it is supposed to safeguard. The UN, AU ECOWAS and all other bodies are in the right to say that re-counting the votes is a waste of all peoples time. As Raila Odinga pointed out to all, who is going to guarantee that the Kangaroo Constitutional council has not tampered with the Ballot boxes?

Soro was never nominated to be PM for Gbagbo. Gbagbo chose Soro! Gbagbo refused and sabotaged every other PM that was recommended to work with him for the sake of peace.
As I explained to you above, you did not seem to have a problem when going to elections with Allassane Ouattara, you only have a problem when you lost. And that, I have pointed out to you is a sign of very sore and undemocratic losers.