Cote d’Ivoire

Polarised and violent political crises that recur in nation states signal that the political formulae adopted to resolve the crises have not worked. Such is the stark reality in Côte d’Ivoire.

According to the capitalist press, Cote d’Ivoire President Laurent Gbago is a dictator who lost the election to Alassane Ouattara, and the AU (African Union),
ECOWAS (Economic Community Of West African States) and the rest of the world should force Gbago to step down.

As the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), France, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) continue to beat war drums over Cote D’Ivoire, they are pushing the country on a treacherous path to a precipice of war.

They were to be the elections that would put an end to the crisis, to finally turn the page on Félix Houphouet-Boigny’s inheritance and to set Côte d’Ivoire on the path of peace and development.

The situation in Cote d’Ivoire is extremely sad and disturbing. Since the results of the 28 November run-off election were made public by the Independent Electoral Commission, outgoing President Laurent Gbagbo has defied international pressure and is clinging tenaciously to power.

Cote d’Ivoire has been suspended from the West African regional group known as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).