Côte d’Ivoire: Insecurity Continues Despite Gbagbo’s Departure

Over the last month, the situation in Côte d’Ivoire has changed drastically.  With the assistance of UN peacekeepers, forces backing internationally-recognized President Alassane Ouattara arrested incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, ending the electoral stalemate.  As the reconstruction process starts, there is a need for continued attention on the situation.

Despite Gbagbo’s capture, the situation across Côte d’Ivoire has yet to return to normal. Fighting appears to continue in Abidjan, includingongoing clashes between government forces and pro-Gbagbo fighters in the city’s Yopougon district. There have also been reports of clashes amongpro-Ouattara forces, both in Abidjan and San Pedro.
 
In addition to necessary security improvements, there is a need for continued efforts to aid the two million people uprooted by the conflict.   While many Ivorians have returned home, at least 415,000 people remain displaced [pdf] due to the standoff between Ouattara and Gbagbo.  The displaced are also in need of humanitarian assistance, [pdf] particularly in WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) and health sectors.  The UN’s humanitarian coordinator in the country stated that “…it will take may months to restore people’s dignity and rebuild livelihoods.”
 
In the aftermath of the nearly five month-long standoff, there is a need to investigate human rights abuses committed by belligerents on both sides.  It is as important for President Outtara to hold his allies accountable for crimes committed against Gbagbo loyalists, as it is to punish crimes committed by Gbagbo’s supporters.  In light of the recent discovery of a mass grave in Yopougon, it is even more important that these investigations are conducted in a thorough manner.  So far, Ouattara’s support of a truth and reconciliation process and commitment to cooperate with the UN Commission of Inquiry is also a positive sign that perpetrators of abuses will be brought to justice.
 
To read more about how events in Côte d’Ivoire may proceed after Gbagbo’s ouster, we recommend that you read USIP’s feature, “Long-term peace in Côte d’Ivoire after Gbagbo?”