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RSS FeedIn Ivory Coast, the Great Cost of Conflict??01 April 2011 
Unidentified troops in the city of Abidjan Friday Share ThisDiggYahoo! BuzzFacebookdel.icio.usStumbleUponRelated LinksLatest reports on Ivory Coast from VOA News
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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
Ivory Coast gained independence from France in nineteen sixty. It grew into one of the wealthiest countries in West Africa through cocoa exports and foreign investments.
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But its latest political crisis has come at great cost. The United Nations says several hundred people have been killed since early December. As many as one million have fled their homes, mostly in Abidjan, the main city. Some have fled west to Liberia or east to Ghana.
On Friday, the UN human rights office expressed concern about unconfirmed reports of kidnapping and abuse of civilians by fighters loyal to Alassane Ouattara. He is the internationally recognized winner of the presidential election last year. But President Laurent Gbagbo refuses to accept the results.
A UN human rights spokesman, Rupert Colville, said most of the reports were from western Ivory Coast.
RUPERT COLVILLE: "Initially, most of the abuses, if not all the abuses, were by the forces in support of Laurent Gbagbo, former president. But recently there's been an increase of retaliatory attacks by people on the other side, including a slightly mysterious group called the Invisible Commandos who've been operating against Gbagbo."
The International Committee of the Red Cross said civilians trapped by the fighting have been unable to get food, water or medicine. The Red Cross has appealed for an additional sixteen million dollars to help people entering Liberia.
Fighters loyal to Mr. Ouattara moved into Abidjan on Thursday after a quick offensive through Ivory Coast. Pro-Gbagbo forces surrendered the airport to the nearly ten thousand United Nations peacekeeping troops in the country.
Mr. Ouattara called for the support of all government troops.
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The country is calling you, he said.
Years ago, Alassane Ouattara lived and studied in the United States. He received a doctorate in economics at the University of Pennsylvania in the early nineteen seventies. He worked for the International Monetary Fund and the Central Bank of West African States.
Mr. Ouattara, who is Muslim, was born in central Ivory Coast in nineteen forty-two. He served as prime minister in the early nineteen nineties. But questions about his citizenship kept him out of the presidential election in two thousand.
Laurent Gbagbo was born to a Catholic family in the south in nineteen forty-five. He attended Paris' Sorbonne University and later spent time in exile in the French capital. In nineteen seventy-one, he was arrested in Ivory Coast for "subversive teaching." He continued his activism after returning in nineteen eighty-eight.
The former history professor came to power in two thousand as a supporter of full democracy. But hopes for a new kind of African leadership fell as elections were repeatedly postponed.
Mr. Gbagbo himself became president after a disputed election and political unrest. But after two years he faced a rebellion in the north. A peace treaty in two thousand seven led to the presidential election last year. Mr. Gbagbo won the most votes in the first round but not a majority. He refused to accept defeat in a runoff election against Mr. Ouattara.
And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.
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Contributing: David Gollust, Julia Ritchey and Scott Stearns
Listen? Email? Print? Comments?Comments (10)02-04-2011Joruji(Japan)I read newspapers and watch news on TV every day, but I was not informed of the conflict in Ivory Coast. And I liked this article because it gives a good overview of what is happening there. Thank you.
02-04-2011JeanSad for the world because of so many catastrophes and tragedies not only from the Nature but also from the selfishness of mankind.
02-04-2011Merr(China)Pray for the piteous nation. Let us together doing something to help the civilians in there.
02-04-2011Aliyu Kinkilo Shabu(Nasarawa State, Nigeria)Ex-president Lurent Gbogbo, you must step down. Your tenure was late, expired and rusted. Nobody else where in the world like or deserves you as the President any more.
02-04-2011drac(China)such kind of thing always happens in unmatured democratic country. candidate refused to accept defeat and then fight occurs. holy cow.
02-04-2011Bob Matutention(Mali)Please let's do someting for ivory coast.I think what is doing in libya by united states and european countries can be done too in this country to help people gaine peace and avoid civil war.It is a crime to open our eyes to assist humans fighting each other as hollywhood war film in this beauty city.
02-04-2011Observer(Vietnam)Ivory Coast is a member of Francophony, once upon a time it was colonized by France. France always want to put its influence to this country, don't let its people to choose their president. To my observation, Mr.Gbagbo is the winner of the presidential election, not Outtawa who is intentionally recognised by some Western countries such as France, US.
02-04-2011Maikudi kwajaffa(Nigeria)Lurent Gbagbo, you must step down to stop the unnecessary blood shade in your country. Leadership is not a do-or-die affair.
02-04-2011Maki(Japan)The state of Ivory Coast appears what's like the Warring States Period which hundred years ago existed in Japan where people fought to occupy for their own land. But this is a modern age, so I'm absolutely against warring. Both sides of Gabono and Ouattara appear to use forces. It's unacceptable. On this article, as you have explained from the country's history to background of the key figures, I could understand why the conflict has started.
02-04-2011Maki(Japan)Otherwise, even on TV, it's nearly impossible to comprehend the foreign affair.
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