Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Election Crisis & Aftermath

Cote d'Ivoire, a West African country of 21.5 million people, is emerging from a severe political crisis. It grew out of a disputed November 29th, 2010 presidential runoff election between former president Laurent Gbagbo and his opponent, former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, who both claimed electoral victory and formed opposing governments. Their rivalry erupted into a full-scale civil military conflict between their armed supporters in early March 2011. After the election, the United States, together with most governments around the world, had endorsed Ouattara as the legally elected president and pressed for Gbagbo to cede the presidency to him. This book examines Cote d'Ivoire’s election crisis and aftermath with a focus on maintaining security and public order, economic recovery, transitional justice and accountability for human rights abuses, and national political reconciliation and reunification in the region.