Ethnicity: Virtually the entire population is of West African stock. The largest
groups are the Akan (42.1%), Gur (17.6%), Northern Mandes (16.5%), Krous (11%) and
Southern Mandes (10%). There are small Lebanese and French minorities.
An elected assembly was introduced in 1946, and universal suffrage in 1957. In 1958 Côte d'Ivoire voted for independence within the French Community, and full independence followed in 1960. Houphouet-Boigny's party, the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire, dominated politics. The party was linked to the French Communist Party until 1950, but by the time of independence Houphouet-Boigny had become a reliable supporter of French interests. Houphouet-Boigny established a one-party state and remained president with French support until his death in December 1993, though as a fairly benevolent dictator by African standards. He was succeeded by his deputy Henri Konan Bedie. Bedie was overthrown in December 1999 by an army coup, and General Robert Guéï took power. In 2000 Guéï held presidential elections, but his main rival Alassane Ouattara, a Moslem from the north, was barred. The elections, however, were sufficiently democratic for Guéï to be defeated by his remaining rival, Laurent Gbagbo. After a period of tension Guéï accepted defeat and left the country. But Ouattara's supporters then launched a rebellion that has led the country to the brink of civil war. In 2002 French peace-keepers arrived, and pressured Gbagbo into accepted a power- sharing agreement with Ouattara's northern forces. This provoked anger in the Christian south, and the French now find themselves at the centre of the conflict rather than impartial peace-keepers. An agreement for fresh elections seems to be the most likely outcome of this impasse. Cote d'Ivoire's main political parties are Gbagbo's social-democratic party, the Ivorian People's Front, Houphouet-Boigny's old Democratic Party of Ivory Coast and Ouattara's Rally of Republicans Human Rights Watch issued a Statement on Côte d'Ivoire in November 2002: "Côte d'Ivoire is facing a political crisis that poses a serious risk that the country could plunge into the sort of brutal war well known to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone. The crisis is rooted in well-established divisions within Ivorian society and in particular within the military, divisions that have been deliberately exacerbated by government policy over the last few years. This is in turn linked to the government's failure to address the violence and intimidation that marred the presidential and parliamentary elections of late 2000. That this downward spiral in respect for human rights continues is not inevitable. But if it is to be avoided, both sides of the conflict must adopt inclusive policies to guarantee the protection of the rights of all people in Côte d'Ivoire regardless of their ethnic, religious, national, or political identity. The impunity so far enjoyed for past and present human rights violations must also be addressed." |