Two presidents for one country, 2011

Two Presidents for One Country, 2011

Michaël Zumstein

The 2010-2011 Ivorian crisis is a political crisis that emerged after the second round of the 2010 Ivorian presidential election, the first election whose outcome led to an electoral dispute following a suspicion of fraud.

Michaël Zumstein travelled to Côte d’Ivoire to follow the events leading up to Alassane Ouattara’s election in 2010; then in 2011, to follow the fall of outgoing President Laurent Gbagbo after his defeat.

The civil war will have caused many deaths. In a report issued in 2012 by the National Commission of Inquiry set up after Ouattara’s inauguration, it is estimated that 1,452 people were killed in Camp Gbagbo, 727 in Camp Ouattara and 1,069 unattributed, making a total of 3,248 people killed during the conflict.

The Presidential Elections

Ten years after the last elections, Ivory Coast’s voters are going to elect their new president at the end of October, 2010.

Electoral lists, made by the Independent Electoral National Commission (CENI) will allow 5,7 millions electors to take part in the presidential elections of the 31th of October 2010.
“Since the independence, this former French colony, first cacao-producing country in the world, has never had a poll so open and fair.” (AFP)

Two Presidents for a Country

Since the end of November and the defeat of the outgoing president Laurent Gbagbo against his opponent, the former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, fears of civil war have risen in Ivory Coast.

The international community supports Alassane Ouattara, and his election, announced by the Independent Electoral Commission, seemed to lead to a changeover of political power, 10 years after the previous elections.
Ouattara only has a few means of action, and has taken refuge in the Golf Hotel in Abidjan.
Outgoing president Gbagbo in fact refuses to admit his defeat, keeping the power, and leading everyday his country closer to a political and diplomatic dead end.

As the international community exhorts him to withdraw, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sent envoys in an attempt to put an end to this crisis.

Laurent Gbagbo’s fall

After four months of a political crisis, the confrontation between the internationally recognized president Alassane Ouattara and the outgoing president Laurent Gbagbo almost led the Côte d’Ivoire and Abidjan to civil war. On April, 11th 2011, the fallen president was arrested in his house by Alassane Ouattara’s supporters.

Facing a fierce opposition from the FANCI (National Armed Forces of Côte d’Ivoire) supporting Laurent Gbagbo, the Republican Forces had to fight during two weeks in the economic capital before the former president and his last loyal soldiers were finally arrested.

Nevertheless, the new president Alassane Ouattara has another fight lying ahead of him: pacify a country ravaged by decades of a latent conflict. He will have to establish the conditions of a national reconciliation, and will not be able to rule without it.

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