elections in Ivory Coast and the western role: France as case study

Abstract

Ivory Coast witnessed a political crisis after the death of the first president in 1993 about who has the right to bethe president,whether the Prime Minister Al-hassanOuattara or the head of parliament Conan Beedeh. This dispute ended withBeedeh became a president.This result represented an exclusion of Muslims, who represent the largest minority in the country. The crisis has been complicated in 2002 when the conflict turned into armed rebellion and the country was divided into two parts: thenorth controlled by Muslimsand the south controlled by President Laurent Gbagbo, who tried to keep control on power and exclude Al-hassanOuattara. The crisis and divisioncontinued, despite the regional and international attempts during nearly eight years, specifically in the October 2010 elections whichaimed to end the conflict and reunite the country again. But Gbagbo again rejectedthe results of elections won by his rivalOuattara and hand over power tohim.The attempts to resolve the crisis peacefully faileda matter which increasedthe armed confrontations between Ouattara and his French support troops, and Gbagbowho is defeated. France has a great rolein ending this conflict, which shows the importance of the Western role in creating and resolving crises in Africa.