Waiting for Gbagbo

Are things so bad that Ivory Coast misses its former tyrant?

BY PETER DICAMPO | JUNE 29, 2012

 

Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo, whose attempt to remain in power resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 people last year, has been captured and is now on trial at The Hague. The newly elected president, Alassane Ouattara, is working hard at getting the country back on track. But life in this West African war-torn country still isn't easy, nor are its denizens united on what should happen to Gbagbo, who encouraged much of the country's recent violence.    

Above, a manual laborer rests amid sacks of cocoa at Saf Cacao, the largest nationally owned cocoa exporter in Ivory Coast, in San Pedro on March 5, 2012. Austin Merrill, interviewing cocoa workers for FP, says he was told, "They should leave Gbagbo in peace."

Peter DiCampo

 

Peter DiCampo is a documentary photographer whose goal is to contribute his work to a dialogue on international development. You can see more of his work here. Funding for this report was provided by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.