Originally published on the CGS blog on April 11, 2011.
After months of bloody conflict in Côte D’Ivoire following the hotly contested 2010 election, former president and tyrant, Laurent Gbagbo has finally been apprehended by the forces of his rival, Alassane Ouattara. The international community widely recognizes Mr. Ouattara as the winner of the November elections, but president Gbagbo refused to step down. Instead of allowing for the peaceful transfer of power essential to a stable democracy, Mr. Gbagbo initiated a civil war between his supporters and those of Mr. Ouattara. Over 1,500 people have been killed in the conflict, mostly involving gangs referred to as “death squads” roaming the streets of the nation’s capitol, Abidjan and killing civilians. Many more people have fled Côte D’Ivoire because of the violence.
The turning point in the fighting occurred when the United Nations and France began attacking Mr. Gbagbo’s headquarters and heavy artillery in Abidjan, prompting Mr. Gbagbo to mount a feeble attack on the UN headquarters in Côte D’Ivoire before being defeated and captured by Mr. Ouattara’s forces.
The International Criminal Court prosecutor has already stated that he would like the situation in Côte D’Ivoire to be referred to the ICC so justice can be rendered. As of now, the Côte D’Ivoire conflict has been a paradigm for successful international engagement to take out an oppressive dictator and end a brutal conflict. One only hopes that fighting ceases and Mr. Ouattara can prove to be a good, democratic leader.
To read more about Mr. Gbagbo’s capture, click here for the article in The New York Times.
