CIAO DATE: 12/2010
November 2010
"Côte d’Ivoire: Finally Escaping the Crisis", the latest Africa Briefing by International Crisis Group, calls on the two candidates contesting the run-off, Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara, to calm their supporters and accept the results of the 28 November election. It also calls on the international community to remain attentive to the situation, in order to avoid a return to violence in the country. The first round set up a run-off between the two most antagonistic candidates in the Ivorian political landscape: the current president, Laurent Gbagbo (38.3 per cent of the vote), and the former prime minister, Alassane Ouattara (32.08 per cent). The first round was relatively peaceful, despite technical flaws, but both camps could now be tempted, in the event of defeat, to contest the results in the street. Ivorians have not forgotten the post-election clashes of October 2000 and the repression by the security forces of an opposition demonstration in 2004, which left at least 150 dead according to the UN.
Resource link: Côte d'Ivoire : sortir enfin de l'ornière? [PDF] - 1.4M