European Asylum Support Office

Côte d’Ivoire
Country Focus
Country of Origin Information Report

June 2019SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

European Asylum Support Office

Côte d’Ivoire
Country Focus
Country of Origin Information Report

June 2019

More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu).
ISBN: 978-92-9476-993-0
doi: 10.2847/055205© European Asylum Support Office (EASO) 2019
Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, unless otherwise stated.
For third-party materials reproduced in this publication, reference is made to the copyrights
statements of the respective third parties.
Cover photo: © Mariam Dembélé, Abidjan (December 2016)CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 3

Acknowledgements
EASO acknowledges as the co-drafters of this report:
Italy, Ministry of the Interior, National Commission for the Right of Asylum, International
and EU Affairs, COI unit
Switzerland, State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Division Analysis
The following departments reviewed this report, together with EASO:France, Office Français de Protection des Réfugiés et Apatrides (OFPRA), Division del'Information, de la Documentation et des Recherches (DIDR)
Norway, Landinfo
The Netherlands, Immigration and Naturalisation Service, Office for Country of Origin
Information and Language Analysis (OCILA)Dr Marie Miran-Guyon, Lecturer at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS),
researcher, and author of numerous publications on the country reviewed this report.
It must be noted that the review carried out by the mentioned departments, experts or organisations
contributes to the overall quality of the report, but does not necessarily imply their formal
endorsement of the final report, which is the full responsibility of EASO.

4—CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTContents
Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................. 3Contents .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Disclaimer................................................................................................................................................ 6
Glossary and Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... 7
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 10
Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 10
Defining the terms of reference ................................................................................................... 10
Collecting information.................................................................................................................. 10
Quality control.............................................................................................................................. 10
Structure of the report ..................................................................................................................... 10
Map ....................................................................................................................................................... 12
1. Ethnic groups .................................................................................................................................... 13
1.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 13
1.1.1 Constitutional framework ................................................................................................... 13
1.1.2 Languages ............................................................................................................................ 14
1.1.3 Religions .............................................................................................................................. 14
1.2 Geographical location of ethnic groups...................................................................................... 15
1.2.1 Dioula .................................................................................................................................. 16
1.3 Conflicts involving specific ethnic groups ................................................................................... 17
2. Recent History ................................................................................................................................... 20
2.1 Houphouët-Boigny’s presidency (1960 – 1993) ......................................................................... 20
2.2 Bédié’s presidency and the birth of Ivoirité (1993 – 1999) ........................................................ 20
2.3 Military coup and election of Laurent Gbagbo (1999 – 2002) ................................................... 21
2.4 First Ivorian crisis (2002-2010): a divided country ..................................................................... 22
2.5 The post-electoral crisis (2010-2011) ......................................................................................... 24
2.5.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................. 24
2.5.2 Actors in the conflict ........................................................................................................... 26
2.6 Ouattara’s presidency................................................................................................................. 27
2.6.1 Ouattara’s first term............................................................................................................ 27
2.6.2 Ouattara’s second term ...................................................................................................... 28
3. Political situation............................................................................................................................... 29
3.1 General overview........................................................................................................................ 29CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 5

3.2 Political parties ........................................................................................................................... 33
3.2.1 The main political parties and alliances .............................................................................. 35
3.2.2 Senatorial election .............................................................................................................. 43
3.2.3 National reconciliation ........................................................................................................ 44
3.2.4 Situation of Gbagbo supporters .......................................................................................... 46
4. Security situation .............................................................................................................................. 53
4.1 General security situation........................................................................................................... 53
4.1.1 Minors in conflict with the law (so-called microbes) .......................................................... 53
4.1.2 Challenges related to the defence forces ........................................................................... 57
4.1.3 Terrorism ............................................................................................................................. 65
4.2 Security situation in the west of Côte d’Ivoire ........................................................................... 66
4.2.1 Land disputes ...................................................................................................................... 67
5. Specific human rights issues ............................................................................................................. 73
5.1 General overview........................................................................................................................ 73
5.1.1 Prisons ................................................................................................................................. 73
5.1.2 Corruption ........................................................................................................................... 73
5.1.3 Freedom of press ................................................................................................................ 75
5.1.4 Freedom of association, of religion, of expression ............................................................. 76
5.1.5 People with disabilities........................................................................................................ 76
5.2 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons (LGBT) ........................................................... 77
5.3 Women: violence, domestic violence, FGM/C, forced and early marriage................................ 79
5.3.1 Sexual violence .................................................................................................................... 80
5.3.2 Domestic violence ............................................................................................................... 82
5.3.3 Forced and early marriage .................................................................................................. 84
5.3.4 Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) ...................................................................... 85
5.4 Trafficking in human beings........................................................................................................ 88
5.4.1 Trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation .............................................................. 89
5.4.2 Trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation .............................................................. 90
Annex 1: Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 91
Annex 2: Terms of Reference .............................................................................................................. 145

6—CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

Disclaimer
This report was written according to the EASO COI Report Methodology (2012) 1. The report is basedon carefully selected sources of information. All sources used are referenced.
The information contained in this report has been researched, evaluated and analysed with utmost
care. However, this document does not claim to be exhaustive. If a particular event, person ororganisation is not mentioned in the report, this does not mean that the event has not taken place orthat the person or organisation does not exist.
Furthermore, this report is not conclusive as to the determination or merit of any particularapplication for international protection. Terminology used should not be regarded as indicative of aparticular legal position.
‘Refugee’, ‘risk’ and similar terminology are used as generic terminology and not in the legal sense as
applied in the EU Asylum Acquis, the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the
Status of Refugees.
Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which may bemade of the information contained in this report.
The drafting of this report (including review) was finalised on 24 May 2019. Any event taking place
after this date is not included in this report. More information on the reference period for this report
can be found in the methodology section of the Introduction.

1 The EASO methodology is largely based on the Common EU Guidelines for processing Country of Origin Information (COI),

2008, and can be downloaded from the EASO website: url.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 7

Glossary and Abbreviations
ACDEG

African Charter for Democracy, Election and Governance

AFD

Alliance des force démocratiques (Alliance of Democratic Forces)

AFFDO-CI

Association des Femmes et Familles des Détenus d'Opinion de Côte d'Ivoire(Political Prisoners’ Wives and Families Association)

AIDF

Association ivorienne pour la défense des droits de la femme (Ivorian Association
for the Defense of Women)

Allochthones

Ivorian citizens belonging to a community which is not autochthon in the place
they live. For example Baoulé (originating from the centre of Côte d’Ivoire) areconsidered allochthones in western Côte d’Ivoire.

AU

African Union

Autochthones

people belonging to a social group considered to be the first occupants of theplace they live in

CDVR

Commission dialogue, vérité et reconciliation (Commission on Dialogue, Truth
and Reconciliation)

CEDAW

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

CEI

Commission Electorale Indépendante de Côte d’Ivoire (Independent Electoral
Commission of Côte d’Ivoire)

CNDHCI

Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme de Côte d'Ivoire (National
Committee for Human Rights in Côte d'Ivoire)

CNE

Commission nationale d'enquete (National Commission of Inquiry)

CNP

Conseil National de la Presse (National Council for the Print Media)

COJEP

Congrès panafricain pour la justice et l’égalité des peuples (Pan-African Congress
for Justice and People’s Equality)

Comzones

Zone Commanders of the FAFNCONARIV

Commission Nationale pour la Reconciliation et l’Indemnisation des Victimes(National Commission for the Reconciliation and Indemnification of Victims)

CPI

Corruption Perceptions Index (of Transparency International)

CPIACountry Policy and Institutional Assessment

CSEI

Cellule spéciale d'enquete et d'instruction (Special Investigation Unit)

DDH

Division des droits de l’homme (Division of Human Rights) (of the ONUCI)

Dozos

Traditional hunters

ECOWAS

Economic Community of West Africa

EDS

Ensemble pour la démocratie et la souverainité (Together for democracy andsovereignty)

FACI

Forces armées de Côte d’Ivoire (Armed Forces of Côte d’Ivoire)

FCFA

CFA Franc

8—CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

FESCIFédération estudiantine et scolaire de Côte d’Ivoire (Students’ Union of Côte
d’Ivoire)

FIDH

Fédération internationale des droits de l’Homme (International Federation for
Human Rights)

Foreigners(allogènes)Non-Ivorian citizens, for example Burkinabé. Some of them have been living inCôte d’Ivoire for several generations but are still considered allogènes

FPI

Front populaire ivoirien (Ivorian Popular Front)

FRCI

Forces Républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (Republican Forces of Côte d’Ivoire) (since2016 became FACI)

GOR

Gbagbo ou rien (Gbagbo or nothing)

HABG

Haute Autorité pour la Bonne Gouvernance (High Authority for Good
Governance)

HACA

Haute Autorité de la Communication Audiovisuelle (High Audiovisual
Communications Authority)

HCDH/ OHCHR

Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme (United Nations
Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner)

HRW

Human Rights Watch

ICC

International Criminal Court

ICCPRInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

ICTJ

International Center for Transitional Justice

IFES

International Foundation for Electoral Systems

ISS

Institute for Security Studies

JFPI

Jeunesse du Front Populaire Ivoirien (FPI Youth league)

JPDCI

Jeunesse du PDCI (PDCI Youth league)

JUDPCI

Jeunnesse de UDPCI (UPDCI Youth league)

LIDER

Liberté et Democratie pour la République (Liberty and Democracy for theRepublic)

LIDHO

Ligue Ivoirienne des droits de L’homme (Côte d’Ivoire Human Rights League)

MACA

Maison d’arrêt et de correction d’Abidjan (House of Arrest and Correction of
Abidjan)

MFA

Mouvement des forces d'avenir (Movement of the Future Forces)

MINUCIUN Mission in Côte d’IvoireNGO

Non-governmental organisation

PDCI

Parti démocratique Côte d’Ivoire (Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire)

PIT

Parti ivoirien des travailleurs (Ivorian Workers Party)

PNDU/ UNDP

Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement (United Nations
Development Programme)CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

— 9

POECI

Plateforme des Organization de la Societe Civile pour l’Observation des Electionsen Côte d’Ivoire (Platform of Civil Society Organisations for the Observation ofElections in Côte d’Ivoire)

RACI

Rassemblement pour la Cote d’Ivoire (Rally for Cote d’Ivoire)

RDR

Front populaire ivoirien (Ivorian Popular Front)

RER

Rassemblement des Enseignants Republicains (Rally of Republican Teachers)

RFR

Rassemblement des Femmes Republicaines (Rally of Republican Women)

RHDP

Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la Démocratie et la Paix (Rally ofHouphouëtist for Democracy and Peace)

RJR

Rassemblement des Jeunes Republicains (Rally of Young Republicans)

RSF/ RWB

Reporters Sans Frontiere (Reporters Without Borders)

UDPCI

Union pour la démocratie et la paix en Côte d'Ivoire (Union for Democracy andPeace in Côte d’Ivoire)

UE-UDPCI

Union des Enseignants de l’UDPCI (Union of teachers of UDPCI)

UF- UPDCI

Union des Femmes de l’UDPCI (Union of the women of UPDCI)UFDCIUnion des Femmes du PDCI (Union of Women of PDCI)UN

United Nations

UNAIDS

United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDSUNFPA/FNUP

Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population (United Nations Population Fund)

UNHCR

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNOCI/ONUCI

Opération des Nations Unies en Côte d'Ivoire (United Nations Operation in Côte
d'Ivoire)

UPCI

Union pour la Côte d'Ivoire (Union for Côte d’Ivoire)

WANEP

West Africa Network for Peacebulding10 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

Introduction
This report was written in the framework of the 2018 EASO Operating Plan to Italy, Measure IT 3.0:
Support to the National Asylum Commission and Territorial Commissions. 2 The co-drafters of thisreport are mentioned in the Acknowledgements section.

Methodology
Defining the terms of reference
In a country focus report, EASO aims to provide information focusing on selected topics of particular
relevance for international protection status determination (refugee status and subsidiary
protection), in this case for Ivorian applicants. It is not meant to be a general description of the humanrights situation in the country, nor a comprehensive overview of all topics at stake in international
protection status determination.
The terms of reference (ToR) were based on a list of information needs provided by Italian asylum
authorities, a systematic review of queries from Italian territorial commissions and courts processing
applications for international protection from Ivorian applicants in 2017, as well as input from the
Swiss SEM and EASO COI specialist network on West Africa. ToR were finalised during a meeting heldin July 2018 with the drafters, and can be found in annex to this report under Terms of Reference.

Collecting information
The information is mostly the result of desk research of public, specialised paper-based and electronicsources and was supplemented with information collected from field work in Côte d’Ivoire conductedby SEM’s COI specialist. The reference period for describing events was from September 2016 until
September 2018.
The information has largely been retrieved from open sources, namely international and IvorianNGOs, think tanks, media and academic research, both during the deployment of the IT researchers
to SEM, and during several rounds of peer and external reviews that further contributed to theinformation collection process (see Quality Control). All cited sources are listed in the bibliography.

Quality control
In order to ensure that the authors respected the EASO COI Report Methodology, a review was carriedout by COI specialists from the countries listed as reviewers in the Acknowledgements section, and by
EASO. In addition, a review of the report was carried out by researcher/academic Marie Miran-Guyon.
EASO performed the final quality review and editing of the text.
The quality control process led to further research and the inclusion of some additional information
up to 24 May 2019, in response to feedback received during the respective reviews. All comments
made by the reviewers were taken into consideration and most of them were implemented in the
final draft of this report.

Structure of the report
This report is divided into five main chapters:

2 EASO, Operating Plan Agreed by EASO and Italy, 15 December 2017, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 11

The first chapter presents an overview of the main Ivorian ethnic groups, their geographic distribution,
as well as the conflicts some ethnic groups are involved in.
The second chapter provides some historical background information on the country’s politicalenvironment from the death of its first president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, as well as context
information on the two periods of civil unrest (2002-2007; 2010-2011).
In chapter three, readers can find an overview of the political scene in Côte d’Ivoire, including politicalparties, the March 2018 Senate elections, and a look into the reconciliation process and the situationof Laurent Gbagbo’s supporters.
The fourth chapter focuses on aspects of the security situation, in particular on the west part of thecountry, inter-ethnic conflicts related to land disputes and the role and current activities of the Comzones; this section also looks into social unrest and criminality, specifically the microbes phenomenon.
The last chapter is dedicated to some specific human rights issues in the country, namely the situationof LGBTI persons, women (including domestic and sexual violence, FGM/C, and forced and earlymarriage) and trafficking in human beings.

12 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

Map

Map 1 Côte d’Ivoire, December 2011, ©United Nations 3

3 United Nations, Map no. 4312 Rev. 3, December 2011, url. For a map that reflects the latest administrative changes, seeCôte d’Ivoire, Carte de Côte d’Ivoire Administrative, 2012, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 13

1. Ethnic groups
1.1 Overview
This section gives a brief overview of the main aspects of ethnic groups, such as demography,
languages and religions. In addition, it discusses several ethnically related conflicts.
The population of Côte d’Ivoire is multi-ethnic; there are over sixty ethnic groups with different
linguistic and cultural identities and complex interrelationships. 4
The main ethnic groups in Côte d’Ivoire (with many subgroups) are the Akan (38.1 %), the Voltaique
or Gur (21.2 %), Northern Mandé (19 %), Southern Mandé (9.1 %) and Krou (11.3 %). 5
Twenty-four per cent of the population of the country are non-Ivorians 6 coming from neighbouring
countries, such as Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania,
Lebanon 7, Cameroon, Togo, Niger, and migrants from Europe. 8
Marriages between men and women having different religious beliefs and/or belonging to different
ethnic groups exist 9, more so in urban areas, especially Abidjan, than in rural areas. Marriages,
friendship and coalitions across ethnic and religious lines are more frequent within the political elite
than among other social groups. 10
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Ivorian politicians have used the regional, ethnic, and religious
divisions in Côte d’Ivoire to gather political support. 11 During the years of political turmoil, membersof the Bambara, Malinké, and Northern Manding (Mandé or Dioula) groups originating from thenorthern and central areas of the country were generally considered to be pro-Ouattara, while groups
in the western and central-western areas, including Krou, and some southern subgroups of the Akan,
were thought to be mostly pro-Gbagbo. Akan subgroups in the central part of the country wereconsidered more pro-former President Bedié, whose party allied with the Ouattara coalition. 12

1.1.1 Constitutional framework
Article 4 of the 2016 Constitution of Côte d’Ivoire states that all Ivorian people are free and equal inrights. No one may be privileged or discriminated against by reasons of their race, ethnicity, clan, tribe,skin colour, sex, region, social origin, religion or belief, opinion, fortune, culture or language, social
situation or physical or mental state. 13

4 Minority Rights Group International, Côte d’Ivoire, updated January 2018, url; Norway, LandInfo, Côte d’Ivoire: Ethnicity,

Ivoirité and Conflict, 2 November 2006, url; CIA, The World Factbook, Côte d’Ivoire, updated 1 January 2019, url; Ethnologue,
Côte d’Ivoire, n.d., url
5 INS, Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat 2014, url
6 INS, Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat 2014, url
7 Minority Rights Group International, Côte d’Ivoire, updated January 2018, url; Norway, LandInfo, Côte d’Ivoire: Ethnicity,
Ivoirité and Conflict, 2 November 2006, url
8 Norway, LandInfo, Côte d’Ivoire: Ethnicity, Ivoirité and Conflict, 2 November 2006, url
9 Bandyopadhyay S.and Green E., Explaining inter-ethnic and inter-religious marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa, n.d., url; Norway,
LandInfo, Côte d’Ivoire: Ethnicity, Ivoirité and Conflict, 2 November 2006, url; OHCHR, Intégration et autonomie des minoritésen Côte d’Ivoire, 5 January 2004, url
10 Norway, LandInfo, Côte d’Ivoire: Ethnicity, Ivoirité and Conflict, 2 November 2006, url; OHCHR, Intégration et autonomie
des minorités en Côte d’Ivoire, 5 January 2004, url
11 Thierno Mouctar Bah, Addressing Côte d’Ivoire’s Deeper Crisis, 31 March 2012, url. Cf. Chapters 2 and 3 of this report forthe concept of Ivoirité and its consequences.
12 UNHCR, Interim Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Asylum-Seekers from Côte
d'Ivoire, 15 June 2012, url
13 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi n° 2016-886 du 8 novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la République de Côte d'Ivoire, url

14 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

Article 23 provides that anyone persecuted because of their political, religious or philosophicalopinions or because of their ethnicity, may benefit of the right of asylum on the territory of the
Republic of Côte d’Ivoire under the condition that they conform to the Law of the Republic. 14
Article 25 provides that political parties and groups organised along regional, religious, tribal, ethnicor racial lines are prohibited. 15

1.1.2 Languages
The estimated sixty languages in the country can be divided into four distinct linguistic groups: theGur languages of the north-east (Senofo, Kolango, Lobiri), the Kru languages of the south-west (Bete,
Dida, Wè), the Kwa languages of the south-east (Baule, Agni) and finally the Mandé languages of thenorth-west (malinké) and the south Mandé languages in the west of the country (Yacuba, Gagu, Goro).
French is the only official language, and the only language used in public life and education. The Mandé
language Dioula has become an important vehicular language, and is used all over the national
territory as a lingua franca. Even though Dioula is propagated all over the territory, it is associatedwith the northern areas of the country and, consequently, with Islam. 16
Due to the fact that Côte d’Ivoire is an economic centre of gravity in West Africa, several languages
from neighbouring states are also present in the country, for example Mandé languages from Maliand Guinea, Moore from Burkina Faso, and Hausa from Niger and Nigeria. 17 Other non-Ivorian African
languages which can be heard are Mossi, Gourounsi, Fanti, Ewe, Fon, and Wolof. 18

1.1.3 Religions
According to the 2014 census, Ivorian inhabitants, including both Ivorian and non-Ivorian nationals,
are mainly Muslims and Christians, namely 42.9 % of the population is Muslim and 33.9 % Christian.
The latter include 17.2 % Catholic, 11.8 % Evangelical, 1.7 % Methodist, 0.5 % Harrist, 0.4 % Celestial,
and 2.2 % other Christian denominations. Animists are 3.6 %, while followers of other religions
constitute 0.5 %. The census reports that population without any religion is 19.1 % 19, while 20 % did
not respond to the census. 20
Traditionally, the south of the country is associated with Christianity and the north with Islam, but
devotees of both religions live all over the country. 21 However, the researcher Miran-Guyon statesthat Muslims also mainly live in the south, considering the fact that the large majority of the Ivorian
population is located in the south. 22

14 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi n° 2016-886 du 8 novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la République de Côte d'Ivoire, url
15 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi n° 2016-886 du 8 novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la République de Côte d'Ivoire, url

16 Moseng Knutsen A.: Ivory Coast: The Supremacy of French. In: A. Simpson (2008). Language and National Identity in Africa.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 158-171
17 Moseng Knutsen A.: Ivory Coast: The Supremacy of French. In: A. Simpson (2008). Language and National Identity in Africa.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 158-171
18 Alvin E. , Ivory Coast History on Politics, Art, Culture, Ethnic groups and Migration: Inside Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire), 7
November 2016, p. 73
19 INS, Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat 2014, url. The category ‘without religion’ is explained in anothersource as ‘deism, agnosticism, atheism’. Atlasocio.com, Côte d’Ivoire: Les résultats du recensement de 2014, 9 August 2015,url
20 United States, USDOS, 2017 Report on International Religious Freedom - Côte d'Ivoire,29 May 2018, url
21 United States, USDOS, 2017 Report on International Religious Freedom - Côte d'Ivoire, 29 May 2018, url
22 Miran-Guyon M., Société musulmane et régime Ouattara en Côte d’Ivoire. Des affinités électives en demi-teinte, 2017 urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 15

Many individuals combine Christian and Islamic beliefs with traditional ones. 23 Practitioners of various
religions live peacefully together. Conversions are frequent and tolerated, according to MiranGuyon. 24

1.2 Geographical location of ethnic groups

Map 2 The main ethnic groups of Côte d’Ivoire ©Etienne Ruedin [CC BY-SA 3.0] 25

The main cultural clusters are divided into 5 groups: 26•

The dominant Akan speakers, mainly located in the centre, east and south-east.27 According
to the 2014 official census, 6 540 553 persons belong to this cluster. 28
The Baoulé are the largest Akan subgroup and constitute 15-20 % of the population. 29 Other
Akan subgroups are the Abbey, Abidji, Abouré, Adioukrou 30 (or Adjoukrou31), Agni, Ahizi,
Akyé 32 (or Attié 33), Alladian 34 (or Alladjan 35), Avikam, Bron 36 (or Abron 37), Ebrié, Ega, Ehotilé 38

23 Minority Rights Group International, Côte d’Ivoire, updated January 2018, url; CIA, The World Factbook, Côte d’Ivoire,

updated 1 January 2019, url
24 Marie Miran-Guyon, Société musulmane et régime Ouattara en Côte d’Ivoire. Des affinités électives en demi-teinte, 2017url
25
Colour code: yellow/yellow-green: Malinke, green: Kwa/Akan, orange: southern Mande, blue: Kru; pink: Voltaic-Gur.
Etienne Ruedin, [source: url], 1 July 2006, url
26 This is not an exhaustive list, due to the high number of ethnic groups and alternative names existing in the country.
Minority Rights Group International, Côte d’Ivoire, updated January 2018, url; INS, Recensement Général de la Population etde l’Habitat 2014, url
27 Minority Rights Group International, Côte d’Ivoire, updated January 2018, url
28 INS, Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat 2014, url
29 Minority Rights Group International, Côte d’Ivoire, updated January 2018, url
30 Côte d'Ivoire Tourisme, Groupes ethniques, n.d., url
31 OHCHR, Intégration et autonomie des minorités en Côte d’Ivoire, 5 January 2004, url
32 Côte d'Ivoire Tourisme, Groupes ethniques, n.d., url
33 Joshua Project, Attie in Côte d'Ivoire, n.d., url
34 Côte d'Ivoire Tourisme, Groupes ethniques, n.d., url
35 OHCHR, Intégration et autonomie des minorités rn Côte d’Ivoire, 5 January 2004, url
36 Côte d'Ivoire Tourisme, Groupes ethniques, n.d., url
37 OHCHR, Intégration et autonomie des minorités rn Côte d’Ivoire, 5 January 2004, url
38 Côte d'Ivoire Tourisme, Groupes ethniques, n.d., url

16 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT(or Éotilé 39), Elomouin, Essouma, Gwa 40 (or Mbato 41) N’zima 42 (or Nzema, or Appolo 43, orAppollo 44), Yowré. 45•

The Northern Manding (Mandé), living mainly in the north-west. 46 According to the 2014
official census, 3 276 186 persons belong to this cluster. 47 This group is mainly composed of
the Malinké group, which, in turn, is divided into the Western Malinké, composed of theMandinka, the Koyaka, the Mahouka, and the Bambara, and the Eastern Malinké. 48 Northern
Manding also include Kamara, Djimini 49, Gbin, Koyaka, Nigbi, Siaka. 50•

The Southern Manding (Mandé) in the west. In 2014, the Southern Manding cluster amounted
to 1 570 438 persons. 51 The Dan (or Yacouba) are considered a peripheral Mandé ethnic
group, living in the extreme west of the country.52 Other ethnicities in this group include Bêrê,Gagou, Gouin, Gouro, Mahou, Moua, N’Gain, Ouan, Toonie, Toura, Yaouré. 53•

The Voltaic (or Gur), mainly located in the north, include Birifor, Béré, Dégha, Samogho, Siti,
Sénoufo, Tagbana, Djimini, Lobi, Lohron, Komona, Koulango and Nafana. 54 In 2014, the group
amounted to 3 656 517 persons. 55•

The Kru, living in the south-western and western region, include Bakwé, Bété, Dida, Gnaboua,
Godié, Gouja, Kodia, Krabou, Kouya, Kouzié, Kroumen, Néyo, Nianbwa, Niébiboua, Nigbi,
Oubi, Wané 56, Wè (Guéré and Wobé). 57 In 2014, the group amounted to 1 197 505 persons. 58

1.2.1 Dioula
The descendants of Muslim merchants on the southern shores of the Sahara, who settled in theregion, today speak a vernacular language close to the Malian Bambara or Guinean Malinké: thedioula. This language community has become, over time, a social designation that is often assumed
or ascribed, and is sometimes confused with ethnicity or religion. Yet, those who are designated as‘dioula’ in Burkina Faso and especially in Côte d'Ivoire are not a homogeneous group reducible to thisidentity of merchant or marabout native of the north. 59

39Perrot, C.H., Les Éotilé à livre ouvert, url

40 Côte d'Ivoire Tourisme, Groupes ethniques, n.d., url

41 Joshua Project, Nglwa, Mbato in Côte d'Ivoire, n.d. url
42 Côte d'Ivoire Tourisme, Groupes ethniques, n.d., url

43 Joshua Project, Nzema, Appolo in Côte d'Ivoire, n.d., url

44 OHCHR, Intégration et autonomie des minorités rn Côte d’Ivoire, 5 January 2004, url

45 Côte d'Ivoire Tourisme, Groupes ethniques, n.d., url; OHCHR, Intégration et autonomie des minorités rn Côte d’Ivoire, 5January 2004, url
46 Minority Rights Group International, Côte d’Ivoire, updated January 2018, url
47 INS, Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat 2014, url
48 ASSN, Les Malinké en Côte d’Ivoire, February 2017, url
49 The source places the Djimini both in the Northern Manding and Gur groups, though most of the sources include them
only in the Gur group.
50 OHCHR, Intégration et autonomie des minorités en Côte d’Ivoire, 5 January 2004, url
51 INS, Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat 2014, url
52 Minority Rights Group International, Côte d’Ivoire, updated January 2018, url
53 OHCHR, Intégration et autonomie des minorités en Côte d’Ivoire, 5 January 2004, url
54 OHCHR, Intégration et autonomie des minorités en Côte d’Ivoire, 5 January 2004, url
55 INS, Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat 2014, url
56 OHCHR, Intégration et autonomie des minorités en Côte d’Ivoire, E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2004/WP. 8, 5 January 2004, url
57 Canada, IRB, Current situation of members of the Wè ethnic group, including where they live, their characteristics, andhow they are treated by government authorities (2002-Aug. 2003), 25 August 2003, url
58 INS, Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat 2014, url
59 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Western Africa, n.d. url; Encyclopaedia Britannica, Dyula People, n.d., url; MEUNIER R., Mandé,
Encyclopedie Universalis, n.d., url; KONATE Y., Le dioula véhiculaire : Situation sociolinguistique en Côte d’Ivoire, 2016, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 17

The researchers Launay and Marie-Guyon note that the ethnicisation of Ivorian politics in recent years
has greatly favoured the ethnic conception of the Dioula identity and has sometimes given rise to selfidentification as ‘dioula’, but this identity assignment is strongly politically connoted. 60

1.3 Conflicts involving specific ethnic groups
Interethnic alliances are ancient and cultural non-aggression pacts were signed between the ancestorsof different ethnic groups of Côte d’Ivoire. 61 These alliances have the function to maintain peace andprovide mutual assistance to the groups involved, enhancing social cohesion. 62
The conflicts between ethnic and religious elements of the population are not due to ancestral hatredamong them, but rather to inter-communal factors, such as land disputes in the cocoa-producing
western areas. 63 The perceived sense of economic inequality between indigenous people andmigrants is a reason of resentment between and within the communities. 64 On the other hand,resentments between ethnic groups whose identities are associated with political spheres, where
autochthones consider the migrants linked to Ouattara as the invaders, flare up in violence wheneverconflicts arise. 65 Western areas have for decades seen disputes over land ownership between native
groups and migrants, both from other countries and other regions of Côte d’Ivoire. Tensions over land
contributed to serious violence during both Ivorian civil wars in 2002-2003 and 2011. 66 Since thedisputed presidential election in 2010, sporadic clashes over land have taken place almost every
year. 67 For more information on the land dispute issue, see Section 4.2.1.
Although the west is the region where ethnic conflicts are more numerous, clashes have recently
broken out also in north-eastern and southern areas of the country. 68
Violent farmer-herder conflicts are a common issue in west and central African countries. The Saheland northern region is becoming drier and desertification, which reduces land availability, is
expanding because of the climate change. This, along with increasing land-exploiting commercial
activities and the competition for the use of resources as forests, grazing lands and water, has led toa higher frequency of clashes. 69
After 2011, in the north-eastern region of Côte d’Ivoire, in the town of Bouna and its hinterland,tensions between Fulani herders, Lobi farmers and autochthonous Koulango have increased, due to
conflicts over access to and control over land and political rivalry between the Koulango and Lobi. 70 In
March 2016, a conflict broke out in the town of Bouna between farmers of the Lobi ethnic group and
Fulani (Peul) herders. The Lobi accused the Fulani of destroying their crops by grazing their cattle. 33
people died, 50 were injured and around 2 000 were displaced. 71 In April 2016, President Ouattara

60 Robert Launay, Marie Miran-Guyon, Beyond Mande Mory. Islam and Ethnicity in Côte d’Ivoire, 2000, url, pp.63-84
61 Abidjan.net, Alliances interethniques : des pratiques culturelles utiles à la cohésion sociale, 18 August 2015, url

62 Côte d’Ivoire Tourisme, Alliances inter-ethniques, n.d, url; AIP, Les alliances inter-ethniques comme ferment de la cohésion

sociale, 23 February 2016, url
63 Thierno Mouctar Bah, Addressing Côte d’Ivoire’s Deeper Crisis, 31 March 2012, url
64 Interpeace, Indigo, ‘L'étranger ne peut pas venir se cacher derrière une termitière et vouloir que sa tête la dépasse’,January 2018, url
65 Akindès F., ‘On ne mange pas les ponts et le goudron’, 2017, url
66 Reuters, Ethnic land dispute forces thousands to flee in Ivory Coast cocoa belt, 9 October 2017, url
67 IRIN, Land clashes test Côte d’Ivoire’s fragile security*, 25 October 2017, url
68 Akody.com, Côte d’Ivoire : Affrontements meurtriers entre Toura et Burkinabé dans le département de Biankouma, 14
May 2018, url
69 Nnoko-Mewanu, J., Farmer-Herder Conflicts on the Rise in Africa, 6 August 2018, url
70 Jeremy Speight, Bouna, une ‘instabilité permanente’? Foncier, autorité et violence post-conflit en Côte d’Ivoire dans lalongue durée, March 2017, url
71 RFI Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: Alassane Ouattara lance un message d’apaisement à Bouna, 30 April 2016, url. Other sources
report different numbers: Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : 22 morts lors d’affrontements intercommunautaires dans le NordEst, 25 March 2016, url; Le Monde, Au Burkina Faso, avec les déplacés du conflit entre Peul et Lobi, 5 April 2016, url

18 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

went to Bouna to call for appeasement in order to continue working on reconciliation and to ensurethat these kinds of events would not happen anymore. 72 In 2017, hostilities between the groups werestill ongoing. 73 In 2019, a dialogue has started to solve the dispute. Supported by the German NGO
GTZ, farmers and cattle breeders are involved in a pilot project to designate cattle routes to protect
the Comoe national park and the agricultural land. In turn, water points and grazing land are provided
to the cattle herds. 74
Following those clashes, on 21 and 22 April 2016, the Government of Côte d’Ivoire had organised aninterdepartmental seminar with the aim of analysing and finding solutions to the problem ofcommunal conflicts. 75
Sources report that in June 2017, in Gonaté, about 20 kilometres from the city of Daloa in the central
western region, a conflict arose between youths of Gouro and Malinké ethnic groups after a group of
Malinké students stabbed to death a student of the Gouro ethnicity. The conflict caused injuries topeople and damages to properties. This kind of crisis repeatedly happens in Gonaté, usually at the endof the school year. 76 The Ministry of Solidarity, Women and Child protection, with the financial supportof UNFPA, organised a workshop after this event in Gonaté with the aim to strengthen the process ofreconciliation between the two ethnic groups. 77 In October 2017, a conflict broke out between the
Dan (Yacouba) ethnic group and the Burkinabé (originally inhabitants from Burkina Faso) in the villageof Daleu, in the mountainous western Tonkpi Department. Tensions developed over the Burkinabé
exploitation of timber for commercial use without the permission of the indigenous people. The
Ministry of Solidarity, Women and Child protection, in cooperation with the financial support of
UNFPA, organised meetings to bring together the community and religious leaders, officials, womenand youths, and thus enhance the intercommunity dialogue and social cohesion. 78
From mid-September to early November 2017 in the Guiglo area in the western region of Cavally,
conflicts were ongoing between Wè members of the so-called Wè youth Alliance (l’Alliance des jeunesWê), the Baoulé and the Burkinabé. The Wè created the alliance in April 2017 in order to regain land
from the illegal cocoa plantations in the Goin-Debé forest occupied by the ‘outsiders’ Baoulé andBurkinabé. 79 The Goin-Débé forest reserve suffers from degradation by 80%. According to the official
report of local authorities, the conflict left 11 dead, while according to actors of the civil society 16
people died. After an unsuccessful attempt at mediation by the prefect of the region and the Ministerof Health, Environment and Sustainable Development, police, gendarmes and soldiers were deployed
to ensure the security of the area. The government decided to identify and expel the occupants of theGoin-Débé forest. 80 In January 2018, the Minister of Water and Forests announced the project of acensus (mapping) of all occupations of the Goin-Débé forest for the implementation of an effective

72 RFI Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: Alassane Ouattara lance un message d’apaisement à Bouna, 30 April 2016, url

73 Speight J., Bouna, une « instabilité permanente? Foncier, autorité et violence post-conflit en Côte d’Ivoire dans la longue

durée, March 2017, url
74 DW, After deadly clashes, Ivorian farmers and herders try dialogue, 17 February 2019, url
75 Portail Officiel du Gouvernment de Côte d'Ivoire, Conflits communautaires : un seminaire interministeriel organise a grandbassam en vue de trouver des solutions durables pour maintenir la paix, la stabilite et la cohesion sociale, 21 April 2016, url
76 Koaci.com, Côte d'Ivoire: Gonaté, conflit ethnique causé par le décès de l'élève Ouattara, les communautés appelées à lareconciliation, 30 August 2017, url
77 Koaci.com, Côte d'Ivoire: Gonaté, conflit ethnique causé par le décès de l'élève Ouattara, les communautés appelées à lareconciliation, 30 August 2017, url; AIP, Côte d’Ivoire/ Un dialogue intercommunautaire pour retrouver la cohésion sociale àGonaté, 30 August 2017, url
78 Koaci.com, Côte d'Ivoire: Après les affrontements inter-ethniques à Guiglo, un autre conflit foncier frappe encore l'ouest
du pays, 19 October 2017, url
79 Le Monde, Dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, une terre trop convoitée, 7 December 2017, url; Reuters, Ethnic land dispute
forces thousands to flee in Ivory Coast cocoa belt, 9 October 2017, url
80 Le Monde, Dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, une terre trop convoitée, 7 December 2017, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 19

strategy for the sustainable management of agricultural parcels. 81 By the end of 2018, the census
project, including sensitization and involvement of the population, was half-way. 82
Other tensions erupted in May 2018 between the indigenous Toura and the Burkinabé in Gandié, inthe western region of Biankouma, due to the occupation of the sacred forest by the Burkinabé. 83 The
Toura attacked in order to regain the area; clashes resulted in the death of a Burkinabé person. In
revenge, the Burkinabé led a punitive offensive against the inhabitants of Gandié, who fled tosurrounding villages. The gendarmerie intervened to curb the tensions. 84 In general, land ownershiphas always been the main reason for conflicts between the Guéré and Burkinabé inhabitants, but now
even a small dispute can trigger a fight without restraint, as one source notes. 85
In June 2018, a clash between the Wè and Burkinabé broke out in the town of Bangolo, in the westernregion of Guémon, following the homicide of a Guéré/Wè woman reportedly committed by her lover,a young Burkinabé. During clashes, one person was injured. The suspected murderer was arrested. 86

81 Portail Officiel du Gouvernment de Côte d’Ivoire, Foret Classee De Goin-Debe : Le recensement des occupants agricoles

demarre, 31 January 2018, url

82 IDH, SODEFOR half-way the full census of the Goin-Débé forest reserve, 7 December 2018, url

83 Afrique sur 7, Côte d'Ivoire: Nouvel affrontement Guéré- Burkinabé à Bangolo, 25 June 2018, url; Akody.com, Côte d’Ivoire: Affrontements meurtriers entre Toura et burkinabé dans le département de Biankouma, 14 May 2018, url
84 Akody.com, Côte d’Ivoire : Affrontements meurtriers entre Toura et Burkinabé dans le département de Biankouma, 14
May 2018, url
85 Afrique sur 7, Côte d'Ivoire: Nouvel affrontement Guéré- Burkinabé à Bangolo, 25 June 2018, url
86 Afrique sur 7, Côte d'Ivoire: Nouvel affrontement Guéré- Burkinabé à Bangolo, 25 June 2018, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte
d’Ivoire : le meurtre d’une jeune femme ravive les tensions communautaires, 26 June 2018, url20 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

2. Recent History
2.1 Houphouët-Boigny’s presidency (1960 – 1993)
Côte d’Ivoire gained independence from France on 7 August 1960. Its first president, Félix HouphouëtBoigny, held power until his death in 1993. Although the 1960 Constitution foresaw multipartism,
Houphouët-Boigny’s party, the Parti démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire – Rassemblement démocratiqueafricain [Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire - Democratic African Rally] (PDCI-RDA) was the only party
until 1990, when the first contested presidential election took place and the incumbent president,
challenged by Laurent Gbagbo from the Front populaire ivoirien [Ivorian Popular Front] (FPI), was reelected for a seventh term. 87
The first two decades of Houphouët-Boigny’s presidency is still often referred to as the period of the‘economic miracle’. Indeed, approximately from 1960 to 1980, Côte d’Ivoire experienced a booming
economy thanks to cocoa and coffee farming. 88 In this context, the President urged foreign plantersand labourers to settle in Côte d’Ivoire and Ivorian farmers to move to other zones to grow cocoa. 89
His principle was: ‘Land belongs to those who cultivate it.’ 90 This politic benefitted particularly the
Baoulé, Houphouët-Boigny’s own ethnic group. 91 There were massive migration movements towards
the western and southern forest areas. 92 In the 1980s, the economic situation deteriorated and had
become a crisis by 1990. The decline of cocoa prices challenged the model of rent redistribution set
up by then President Houphouët-Boigny. This situation triggered discussions on the Ivorian identity(‘Ivoirité’, see Section 2.2). 93

2.2 Bédié’s presidency and the birth of Ivoirité (1993 – 1999)
After Houphouët-Boigny’s death on 7 December 1993, a power struggle developed between the
President of the National Assembly Henri Konan Bédié, who was the constitutional successor, andPrime Minister Alassane Dramane Ouattara, who had replaced Houphouët-Boigny several times
during the latter’s absences for medical reasons. Bédié swiftly proclaimed himself president and acted
as such until the next presidential elections, which were scheduled for 1995. Alassane Ouattara
resigned from his office and left the country some months later to assume his new function of Deputy
Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund in Washington. 94
The Bédié presidency marks the creation of the concept of ‘Ivoirité’ (‘Ivorianness’ or ‘Ivorians First’), a
kind of state-induced ethno-nationalism. 95 President Bédié entrusted a group of academics called
Cellule universitaire de recherche et de diffusion des idées et des actions politiques du président Henri
Konan Bédié [Academic cell for research and dissemination of the ideas and political actions ofPresident Henri Konan Bédié](CURDIPHE) to elaborate this concept. They stated that a person claiming
87 Marie Gibert, Côte d’Ivoire: Recent History, 2018, p. 357

88 Thomas Hofnung, La crise en Côte d’Ivoire, 2005, p. 21; Commission Dialogue, Vérité et Réconciliation (CDVR), Rapport
final, December 2014, url, p. 12
89 Le Monde, Dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, une terre trop convoitée, Le Monde, 7 December 2017, url; See also:International Crisis Group, Côte d’Ivoire’s Great West: Key to Reconciliation, Africa Report 212, 28 January 2014, url
90 Jean-Pierre Chauveau, Question foncière et construction nationale en Côte d’Ivoire – Les enjeux silencieux d’un coupd’Etat, 2002, url
91 Alfred Babo & Yvan Droz, Conflits fonciers. De l’ethnie à la nation. Rapports interethniques et « ivoirité » dans le sud-ouest
de la Côte-d’Ivoire, 2008, url, p. 741
92 Koffi Justin Kouassi, Les Conflits fonciers ruraux en Côte d’Ivoire, March 2017, url
93 Dominique Lagarde, Une nation en miettes, 2 November 2000, url; Xavier Harel, Robert Jules, Aline Robert, Pourquoi lescours des matières premières agricoles sont devenus fous, 19 November 2010, url
94 Marie Gibert, Côte d’Ivoire: Recent History, 2018, p. 358
95 Francis Akindès, Côte d’Ivoire: Socio-political Crises,’Ivoirité’ and the Course of History, 2003, url, p. 12

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 21

their Ivoirité ‘is supposed to have Côte d’Ivoire as his/her country, be born from Ivorian parents
belonging to one of the ethnic groups native to Côte d’Ivoire’ 96 (e.g., having his/her ancestral ‘village’in Côte d’Ivoire). Early on, the concept of Ivoirité favoured peoples from the south, the centre and thewest but not peoples from the north, often referred to as ‘Dioulas’ (for an explanation on Dioulas see
Section 1.2.1). These Dioulas were regarded as foreigners, notably because their names and Muslim
faith were also common in neighbouring Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali. 97
Bédié won the 1995 presidential elections. These had been boycotted by the Front Républicain(formed by the other two major parties, Rassemblement des Républicains [Republicans’ Rally] (RDR)
and FPI) because of the new eligibility requirements foreseen by the electoral code in order to standfor president: the candidates must be Ivorian born from two parents themselves Ivorian by birth, andmust have been living continuously in Côte d’Ivoire during the five years preceding the elections. 98
These new provisions excluded Ouattara, who would have been the candidate of the 1994-founded
RDR, from running for president. 99 Indeed, according to his opponents, Alassane Ouattara is said tohave Burkinabé origins and to have studied and worked abroad under Voltaic/Burkinabé
citizenship. 100 Ouattara became the leader of the RDR in 1999. 101

2.3 Military coup and election of Laurent Gbagbo (1999 – 2002)
In December 1999, a military coup ended the Bédié presidency and marked the entry of the army into
politics. General Robert Gueï, initially spokesperson and subsequently leader of the military junta,
affirmed that their objective was to restore order in the country. He declared not to be interested inremaining in power and promised a quick transition for the purpose of giving back power to civilians
as soon as possible. 102
The presidential elections did take place in 2000, but a new amendment of the Constitution had
tightened the qualifying criteria for standing for presidential election: besides being Ivorian born fromtwo parents both of Ivorian origin, the candidates must henceforth never have renounced the Ivoriannationality nor claimed any other nationality. 103 These provisions were clearly aimed at preventing
Ouattara from participating in the elections. The Supreme Court then ruled that Ouattara and Bédié
were both not eligible, along with 10 other candidates. 104 The election would oppose Robert Gueï andLaurent Gbagbo. Gbagbo was elected after a poll, which he himself called ‘disastrous’. 105
While the international community was hoping that the legislative polls of December 2000 would
bring a consensus on the democratic process, the electoral commission barred Alassane Ouattara

96 Jolivet, Elen, L’ivoirité, de la conceptualisation à la manipulation de l’identité ivoirienne, 2002-2003, url, p. 26; translated

in: Francis Akindès, Côte d’Ivoire: Socio-political Crises, ’Ivoirité’ and the Course of History, 2003, url, p. 12
97 Francis Akindès, Côte d’Ivoire: Socio-political Crises,’ Ivoirité’ and the Course of History, 2003, url, p. 14
98 RFI, Paris. Côte d'Ivoire: les grandes dates de l'histoire politique, 16 August 2010, url; Thomas Hofnung, La Crise en Côte
d’Ivoire, 2005, p. 33; Libération, La difficile succession d'Houphouët par les urnes, L'opposition ivoirienne boycotte laprésidentielle, 21 October 1995, url
99 Francis Akindès, Bouaké. Côte d’Ivoire: Socio-political Crises, ’Ivoirité’ and the Course of History, 2003, url, p.12; Alfred
Babo, L’étranger à travers le prisme de l’ivoirité en Côte d’Ivoire, 2012, pp. 104-105; RFI, Côte d'Ivoire: les grandes dates del'histoire politique, 16 August 2010, url
100 Alfred Babo, L’étranger à travers le prisme de l’ivoirité en Côte d’Ivoire: retour sur des regards nouveaux, 2012, url, p.
105, footnote 20
101 Rassemblement des Républicains, L’Histoire du RDR, 1 September 2017, url
102 Thomas Hofnung, La Crise en Côte d’Ivoire, 2005, p. 39
103 Elen Jolivet, L’ivoirité. De la conceptualisation à la manipulation de l’identité ivoirienne, 2002-2003, url ; Côte d’Ivoire,
Loi no 2000-513 du 1er août 2000 portant Constitution de la Côte d’Ivoire, url
104 Thomas Hofnung, La Crise en Côte d’Ivoire, 2005, pp. 40-42
105 Kouamé S. Kouassi, Regard retro-prospectif sur les crises ivoiriennes de 1993 à 2011, 2013, url, p. 138 ; Thomas Hofnung,
La Crise en Côte d’Ivoire, 2005, pp. 43-44

22 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

from running for a seat, claiming that he was not Ivorian by birth from two Ivorian parents. The RDR
boycotted the elections. 106
In 2001, after the RDR’s good results at the municipal elections, the pro-government media raised its
voice against the vote of ‘foreigners’, claiming that many voters were Dioulas originating from thenorth of the country and hence potentially foreigners. The government then decided to review theelectoral registers and to issue new and more secure electoral cards. As a result, the number of votersdecreased by 20 % at the departmental elections of July 2002. This voters’ decrease particularly
affected RDR-friendly areas. The departmental elections had a low turnout, as members of the RDR
and people from the north of the country denounced exclusions on ground of alleged identity. 107

2.4 First Ivorian crisis (2002-2010): a divided country
On 19 September 2002, Abidjan, Korhogo and Bouaké were attacked simultaneously while President
Gbagbo was travelling abroad. The loyalist troops managed to free Abidjan after some hours, but
Korhogo and Bouaké remained under the control of the assailants. General Gueï, accused of
instigating the coup, got killed on the same day. Failing to seize power, the assailants took over thenorthern half of the country within a few days. Their identity was finally revealed at the of September
2002, when a former mutineer and former ally of General Gueï announced the creation of theMouvement patriotique de Côte d’Ivoire [Patriotic movement of Côte d’Ivoire] (MPCI), composed ofmilitary deserters, mainly from the north of the country. They demanded the resignation of Gbagbo
from power followed by inclusive elections. Their political leader was Guillaume Soro, former leaderof the Fédération estudiantine et scolaire de Côte d’Ivoire [Student’s and educational Federation ofCôte d’Ivoire] (FESCI), which was then mainly pro-Gbagbo. 108 Soro would later act as president of the
National Assembly from March 2012 until February 2019. 109
In October 2002, a ceasefire agreement froze the zones under the rule of rebel and loyalist forces: thecountry was de facto split in a rebel north and a loyalist south. The French troops established a bufferzone called zone de confiance [zone of confidence] on the non-crossing line (see Map 3). 110 Later on,
the MPCI merged with other rebel groups and was renamed Forces nouvelles [New Forces] (FN). 111

106 Kouamé S. Kouassi, Regard retro-prospectif sur les crises ivoiriennes de 1993 à 2011, 2013, url, p. 137; Marie Gibert, Côte

d’Ivoire: Recent History, 2018, p. 359
107 Christian Bouquet. Election des conseils généraux de Côte d’Ivoire (Juillet 2002), 2002, url; Kouamé S. Kouassi, Regard
retro-prospectif sur les crises ivoiriennes de 1993 à 2011, 2013, url, p. 139
108 Human Rights Watch, “The best School”, Student Violence, Impunity, and the Crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, 21 May 2008, url, p.
22
109 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on Côte d'Ivoire (S/2003/374), 26 March 2003, url ; Jeune Afrique,Côte d’Ivoire: Guillaume Soro élu président de l’Assemblée nationale à l’unanimité. 12 March 2012, url; BBC News, Guillaume
Soro, le président de l'Assemblée nationale, démissionne en Côte d'Ivoire, 11 February 2019, url (26 March 2019).
110 Marie Gibert, Côte d’Ivoire: Recent History. In: Africa South of the Sahara 2018, p. 359; France 24, Les 11 années de crise
qui ont ébranlé le “miracle ivoirien” (1/2), 17 October 2010, url
111 NDI, Evaluation du cadre juridique et politique des élections en Côte d’Ivoire, March 2014, url, p.41

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

Map 3: UNOCI, Côte d’Ivoire, 18 November 2004, © UN 112

112 United Nations, Map No. 4220 Rev.2 bis, January 2005, url

— 23

24 —

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTIn January 2003, after lengthy negotiations, Ivorian political parties and rebel groups signed anagreement in Linas-Marcoussis (France). 113 The contracting parties were seven political parties: FPI,
Parti démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire – Rassemblement démocratique africain (PDCI-RDA), RDR, Union
pour la démocratie et la paix en Côte d'Ivoire (UDPCI), Mouvement des forces d’Avenir (MFA), Union
démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire (UDCY), Parti ivoirien des travailleurs (PIT) and three rebel groups:
MPCI, Mouvement pour la justice et la paix (MJP) and Mouvement populaire ivoirien du Grand Ouest(MPIGO). They agreed that Laurent Gbagbo would remain president of Côte d’Ivoire until the end of
his mandate and that a national reconciliation government, including a ‘consensus Prime Minister’,would be set up in order to organise democratic elections in 2005. 114 In May 2003, the UN Security
Council decided to establish a UN Mission in Côte d’Ivoire (MINUCI) later called UN Operation in Côte
d’Ivoire (UNOCI). 115
After stalling progress - notably on the issues of the disarmament and on eligibility criteria to run forpresident - and several mediation attempts by the international community, President Gbagbo, Prime
Minister Seydou Elimane Diarra, Henri Konan Bédié (PDCI), Alassane Dramane Ouattara (RDR) and
Minister Guillaume Soro (FN) signed the Pretoria agreement in April 2005. 116 This agreement contains
a declaration ending the war and an agreement on immediate disarmament and dismantling ofmilitias. 117
After 2 years of political deadlocks on disarmament and eligibility criteria for presidential candidates
leading to the postponement of the presidential elections 118, the Ouagadougou peace agreement was
signed in March 2007. Guillaume Soro was appointed Prime Minister. The agreement foresaw several
measures including the drawing of a new electoral register, the resumption of the demobilisation
process and the integration of 8 400 Forces armées des forces nouvelles [Armed forces of the New
forces] (FAFN) soldiers into the national army. Elections were scheduled for January 2008. 119

2.5 The post-electoral crisis (2010-2011)
2.5.1 Overview
After several postponements, notably caused by conflicts on voters’ registration, the first round of thepresidential election finally took place on the 31 October 2010, without major incident. Fourteen
candidates and all the important political parties of the country participated. On 28 November 2010,
the second round opposed the incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo against Alassane Ouattara. Bothclaimed victory. While the Commission électorale indépendante [Independent Electoral Commission](CEI) and the international community recognised the victory of Alassane Ouattara 120, theConstitutional Council that had invalidated votes in some northern departments known to be proOuattara declared Laurent Gbagbo as the winner. 121

113 France 24, Les 11 années de crise qui ont ébranlé le "miracle ivoirien" (1/2), 17 October 2010, url

114United Nations Security Council, Linas-Marcoussis Agreement, 23 January 2003, url ; NDI, Evaluation du cadre juridique etpolitique des élections en Côte d’Ivoire, March 2014 url, p.40
115 Alexandra Novosseloff, The Many Lives of a Peacekeeping Mission: The UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, June 2018, url p
10.
116 Cyril Daddieh, Historical Dictionary of Côte d’Ivoire (third edition), 2016, pp. Ixii-Ixv
117 RFI, L’accord de Pretoria du 6 avril 2005, 6 April 2005, url
118 Cyril Daddieh, Historical Dictionary of Côte d’Ivoire (third edition), 2016, pp. Ixv-Ixviii.
119 Marie Gibert, Côte d’Ivoire: Recent History. In: Africa South of the Sahara, 2018, p. 361
120 Marie Gibert, Côte d’Ivoire: Recent History. In: Africa South of the Sahara 2018, pp. 362-363; ONU, Côte d'Ivoire: Ban Kimoon félicite Alassane Ouattara pour son élection, 3 December 2010, url; ONU, L’élection présidentielle en Côte d’Ivoire a
produit “un seul vainqueur –Alassane Ouattara- avec une marge irréfutable”, affirme M. Choi Young-Jin, CS10102, 7
December 2010, url
121 Marie Gibert, Côte d’Ivoire: Recent History, 2018, pp. 362-363; Le Point, Limogeage du président du Conseil
constitutionnel de la Côte d'Ivoire, 25 July 2011, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 25

Both ‘presidents’ were sworn in during separate ceremonies and both appointed their own
government. Côte d’Ivoire had de facto two parallel administrations. 122 While the two heads of state
were fighting for legitimacy, power and access to the country’s finances and the international
community was trying to solve the situation through mediation, violence broke out on the streets,
particularly in Abidjan and the western part of the country. 123
Days after the swearing-in, on 16 December 2010, demonstrations of pro-Ouattara supporters wererepressed by pro Gbagbo security forces and Jeunes Patriotes [Young Patriots]. According to theinternational inquiry commission, this date marks the intensification of violence as well as theintroduction of the use of war weapons. As a response, self-defence groups of youth, some of themrun by commanders of the pro-Ouattara Forces armées des Forces nouvelles [Armed forces of the New
Forces] (FAFN), were created in some areas of Abidjan in order to protect the population. 124
In February 2011, the Forces de défense et de sécurité [Defense and Security Forces] (FDS) of Gbagbo
began attacking FAFN positions. The FAFN, soon to be absorbed into Ouattara’s new army called
Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire [Republican Forces of Côte d’Ivoire] (FRCI) 125, began a conquestof several cities until Abidjan was declared freed on 6 May 2011. As on previous occasions, the troops
supporting Gbagbo called on militias usually linked to his youth supporters of the Jeunes patriotes toresist the pro-Ouattara forces, while the latter got support from their own militias as well as fromsome deserters of the FDS. 126 Armed combats took place in Abidjan. 127 Both sides committed
systematic abuses against civilians based on (presumed) ethnicity and (supposed) political affiliation,
particularly in the Abobo neighbourhood (Abidjan) as well as in the western part of the country. 128
The Yopougon district was the last bastion of the pro-Gbagbo militias where clashes waged till theend. 129
The arrest of former President Laurent Gbagbo in Abidjan on 11 April 2011 marked the beginning of aslow return to calm, first in Abidjan, then in the rest of the country. However, in the city of Abidjan
FRCI began a spate of violent repression searching for pro-Gbagbo militiamen, causing abuses of somespecific ethnic groups perceived to have supported Gbagbo or persons suspected of being militiamen
or informants. 130
In November 2011, Gbagbo was extradited in order to be brought before the International Criminal
Court (ICC) in The Hague, where he has been prosecuted for crimes against humanity, together withhis former Minister of Youth Charles Blé Goudé. 131 In January 2019, both Gbagbo and Blé Goudé havebeen acquitted and conditionally released. The former Ivorian President joined his second wife,

122 Marie Gibert, Côte d’Ivoire: Recent History, 2018, p.363 ; BBC News Ivory Coast crisis as presidential rivals both sworn in,

4 December 2010, url

123 L’Express, La chute de Gbabgo en huit actes, 11 April 2011, url; OHCHR, 14th Special Session on The situation of humanrights in Côte d’Ivoire since the elections on 28 November 2010, 23 December 2013, url
124 Conseil des droits de l’homme, Rapport de la Commission d’enquête internationale indépendante sur la Côte d’Ivoire, 14
June 2011 url, pp. 10-11.
125 Jeune Afrique, un pays, deux armées, 30 August 2009, url
126 Conseil des droits de l’homme, Rapport de la Commission d’enquête internationale indépendante sur la Côte d’Ivoire, 14
June 2011, url, p. 11.
127 Libération, Côte-d'Ivoire: bataille rangée autour du QG de Ouattara à Abidjan, 9 April 2011, url
128 Conseil des droits de l’homme, Rapport de la Commission d’enquête internationale indépendante sur la Côte d’Ivoire, 14
June 2011, url, p. 11 ; Marie Gibert, Côte d’Ivoire: Recent History, 2018, p. 363.
129 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : la bataille d’Abidjan, 12 April 2011, url ; Le Monde, Yopougon, dernier bastion pro-Gbagbo
dans la bataille d'Abidjan, 21 April 2011, url; Le Figaro,, Les forces pro-Gbagbo reculent à Abidjan, 14 March 2011, url ; Conseil
des droits de l’homme, Rapport de la Commission d’enquête internationale indépendante sur la Côte d’Ivoire, 14 June 2011,
url, p. 11; Marie Gibert, Côte d’Ivoire: Recent History. 2018, p. 363.
130 Conseil des droits de l’homme, Rapport de la Commission d’enquête internationale indépendante sur la Côte d’Ivoire, 14
June 2011, url, pp. 11-13
131 ICC, Gbagbo and Blé Goudé Case, n.d. url

26 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

Nadiana Bamba, who was a refugee in Belgium while Blé Goudé remained in The Hague awaiting tofind a host country. 132
The post-electoral crisis caused approximately 3 000 deaths, the departure of approximately 300 000
refugees and the internal displacement of nearly one million persons. 133 Combatants and civil
supporters of both sides perpetrated numerous exactions. The international commission of inquiry
found that both pro-Gbagbo and pro-Ouattara armed forces had committed war crimes and probably
crimes against humanity. 134
In 2014, UNHCR estimated that there are nearly 700 000 stateless people in Côte d'Ivoire. Amongthem were migrants and their children, some orphans, border populations, refugees and displaced
persons. 135 Since 2002, in the northern regions many civil status registers have been destroyed; in thesouthern regions a dual-register system existed, with persons with a North-sounding name sometimes
registered in a different register than the official one. On the other hand, it is also reported that, whenthe electoral registers were drawn up in 2010, many people who did not meet the criteria for eligibility
for Ivorian nationality were nevertheless registered in the electoral files because of corruption. 136 The
current administration is leading a roadmap with UNHCR to solve this issue: judgments are issued topersons at risk of statelessness and citizenship certificates are issued for those who ask for citizenshipby declaration, including stateless persons. As of June 2018, 189 citizenship certificates had been
issued. 137

2.5.2 Actors in the conflict
2.5.2.1 Armed Forces 138
Forces de défense et sécurité [Security and Defense Forces] (FDS):
These forces were under the command of President Laurent Gbagbo until 17 March 2010, when the
FRCI (see below) were created.
With approximately 55 000 men, FDS included:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Forces Armées Nationales de Côte d’Ivoire [National Armed Forces of Côte d’Ivoire] (FANCI).
The FANCI consisted of three main forces: the land force, the air force and the navy. Mainly
the special forces that were part of the land forces were active during the post-electoral crisis;
The Garde Républicaine [Republican Guard] (approx. 1 500 men) composed of three infantry
regiments based in Abidjan;
The National Gendarmerie with approx. 12 000 men;
The National Police;
The Centre de commandement des opérations de sécurité [Centre of command of security
operations] (CECOS) composed of 5 squadrons in Abidjan;
Several special/combined forces units.

132 ICC, ICC Appeals Chamber to impose conditions on Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé upon their release following

their acquittal, 1 February 2019, url; RFI, La Belgique "accepte d'accueillir" l'ex-président ivoirien Laurent Gbagbo, 2 February
2019, url; RFI, CPI: Laurent Gbagbo et Charles Blé Goudé sortent de prison sous conditions, 1 February 2019, url; RFI, Côte
d'Ivoire: la lettre de Charles Blé Goudé à ses concitoyens, 28 March 2019, url
133 Conseil des droits de l’homme, Rapport de la Commission d’enquête internationale indépendante sur la Côte d’Ivoire, 14
June 2011, url p. 11; IDMC, Côte d’Ivoire: De nouveaux engagements offrent une lueur d’espoir aux 300 000 personnes
encore déplacées dans le pays, 26 February 2015, url
134 Conseil des droits de l’homme, Rapport de la Commission d’enquête internationale indépendante sur la Côte d’Ivoire, 14
June 2011, url p. 11; HRW, Côte d’Ivoire: Inquiry’s Shortcuts Raise Red Flags. 23 February 2012, url
135 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: près de 700 000 apatrides selon les Nations unies, 9 November 2014, url
136 ADJAMI Mirna, L’apatridie et la nationalité en Côte d'Ivoire, UNHCR, 1 December 2016, url, pp. 56-64
137 UNHCR, Bulletin Apatridie, April-June 2018, url
138 The information in this section is based on Conseil des droits de l’homme, Rapport de la Commission d’enquête
internationale indépendante sur la Côte d’Ivoire, 14 June 2011, url, pp. 5-9

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 27

Forces Armées des Forces Nouvelles [Armed Forces of the News Forces] (FAFN): These forces were thearmy of FN led by Guillaume Soro. Ten zone commanders called Com-zones ran the ten military andadministrative zones. The headquarters were in Bouaké.
Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire [Republican Forces of the Ivory Coast] (FRCI) were created by the
Ouattara Government merging the FANCI and the FAFN and were under the authority of the Defence
Minister Guillaume Soro. However, Gbagbo could reportedly still count on the loyalty of some eliteunits that had been previously part of the FDS. 139

2.5.2.2 Pro-Gbagbo Militias: 140
Militias usually linked to the Jeunes Patriotes [Young Patriots] called the Galaxie Patriotique [Patriotic
Galaxy] including:•In Abidjan: Groupement des patriotes pour la paix [Patriots’ group for peace] (GPP), armed
elements of the FESCI and militias linked to the Front National pour la libération totale de laCôte d’Ivoire [National front for the total liberation of the Ivory Coast] (FNLTCI).

•

In the west: several militias affiliated to the Front de résistance du Grand Ouest [Resistance
Front of the Great West] (FRGO), including some associated to Liberian militias: Front deLibération du Grand Ouest [Liberation Front of the Great West] (FLGO), Union des Patriotes
Résistants du Grand Ouest [Resistant patriots’ Union of the Great West] (UPRGO), Alliance despatriotes Wê [Wê Patriots’ Alliance (APWE), Mouvement pour la Libération de l’Ouest de laCôte d’Ivoire [Movement for the Liberation of the Ivory Coast (MILOCI).

Mercenaries, mostly recruited in Liberia and active in the western part of the country (and in
Yopougon, in the 2011 battle of Abidjan). 141

2.5.2.3 Pro-Ouattara Militias: 142••

The Invisible Commando, based and active in the PK 18/Agouéto-Abobo neighbourhood in
Abidjan at the end of the fighting. This militia, and especially its leader Ibrahim Coulibaly who
was killed in April 2011 by the FRCI, reportedly had an ambiguous political position. 143
Traditional hunters called Dozos. They were accused of several abuses, especially in thewest. 144

2.6 Ouattara’s presidency
2.6.1 Ouattara’s first term
Alassane Ouattara was officially sworn in on 6 May 2011. 145 During his first term, his government
managed to restore economic growth. 146 A national commission of inquiry on the post-electoral crisis
was established, a reconciliation commission was created, a demobilisation, disarmament and139 Conseil des droits de l’homme, Rapport de la Commission d’enquête internationale indépendante sur la Côte d’Ivoire, 14

June 2011, url, pp. 5-9
140 Conseil des droits de l’homme, Rapport de la Commission d’enquête internationale indépendante sur la Côte d’Ivoire, 14
June 2011, url, pp. 5-9.
141 Le Monde, Yopougon, dernier bastion pro-Gbagbo dans la bataille d'Abidjan, 21 April 2011, url
142 Conseil des droits de l’homme, Rapport de la Commission d’enquête internationale indépendante sur la Côte d’Ivoire, 14
June 2011, url, pp. 5-9.
143 Observers France 24, Les forces de Ouattara attaquent leurs anciens alliés du Commando invisible, 27 April 2011, url
144 See also: ONUCI, Rapport sur les abus des droits de l’homme commis par des Dozos en République de Côte d’Ivoire, June
2013, url
145 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: Ouattara prête serment comme président, 6 May 2011, url
146 World Bank, The Might of the Elephant: Benefiting from Strong Growth to Create Better Jobs, December 2015, url28 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTreinsertion (DDR) program was set up and a reform of the security sector (RSS) was initiated. The
effectiveness of these measures has sometimes been questioned147, as observers felt that the deeper
roots of conflict (the issue of exclusion / Ivoirité) had not been addressed adequately. 148 Furthermore,
the impartiality of justice concerning crimes committed during the post-electoral crisis was often
criticised by NGOs 149, as well as a lack of effort for national reconciliation. 150

2.6.2 Ouattara’s second term
The October 2015 presidential elections took place without major incidents. Supported by the
Rassemblement des houphouëtiste pour la démocratie et la paix [Rally of Houphouëtists for
Democracy and Peace] (RHDP) coalition of several parties and facing a weak and fragmented
opposition, Alassane Ouattara was re-elected with a clear majority. 151 The low turnout and the voters’
behaviour showed that the Ivorian population remained divided and that national reconciliation was
far from being achieved, according to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). 152
During Ouattara’s second term, Côte d’Ivoire adopted a new constitution and so started its third
Republic in November 2016. 153 Article 55 of the Constitution now cancels and supersedes Article 35,
stating that presidential candidates must be Ivorian by birth born from one Ivorian parent with Ivorian
origins, either father or mother, which is a major change. 154
Another significant action related to the post-electoral crisis that Ouattara took during his second term
was the presidential amnesty he announced during his national day speech in August 2018. He granted
amnesty to approximately 800 persons prosecuted or condemned for offences linked to the postelectoral crisis. 155 Several prominent prisoners were released, including former first lady Simone
Ehivet Gbagbo. 156 However, three human rights organisations have called on the Ivorian authorities
to reverse this decision in order for the victims of human rights violations to access justice. 157

147 France 24, Désarmer, démobiliser, réinsérer : le casse-tête de la résolution des conflits en Afrique, 20 November 2018,
url; United Nations Security Council, Final report of the Group of Experts on Côte d’Ivoire pursuant to paragraph 27 of
Security Council resolution 2153 (2014), 13 April 2015, url, pp. 15-20; HRW, Côte d’Ivoire: Inquiry’s Shortcuts Raise Red Flags.
23 February 2012, url; GRIP, La Commission Dialogue Vérité et Réconciliation en Côte d’Ivoire: la réconciliation n’a pas eu
lieu, 30 June 2015, url
148 International Crisis Group, Côte d’Ivoire: The Illusion of Stability, 24 October 2015, url
149 HRW, Côte d’Ivoire: Inquiry’s Shortcuts Raise Red Flags, 23 February 2012, url ; Amnesty International, Des fosses
communes dans les puits, 23 July 2013, url; L’Infodrome, Nathalie Kouakou (Amnesty-CI): « Le système judiciaire est l’unedes plaies de la gouvernance Ouattara », 14 January 2015, url
150 ACAT France, Rencontre Hollande-Ouattara: pour la réconciliation, mettre fin à la justice des vainqueurs, n.d. [December2014] url ; HRW, Rapport mondial 2015 : Côte d’Ivoire, 2015, url ; TV5 Monde, Côte d’Ivoire : une enquête inédite sur le bilan
de la réconciliation nationale, 2 January 2019, url. See also Giulia Piccolino, Peacebuilding and statebuilding in post-2011
Côte d'Ivoire: A victor's peace? July 2018, url
151 ISS, Côte d'Ivoire presidential election: beyond Alassane Ouattara's victory, 6 November 2015. url. See also Piccolino, G.,
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back? Côte d’Ivoire’s 2015 Presidential Polls, 2016, url
152 ISS, Côte d'Ivoire presidential election: beyond Alassane Ouattara's victory, 6 November 2015. url
153 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: la nouvelle Constitution créant la 3e République adoptée, 2 November 2016, url. See also Ousmane
Zina, «Le caillou a-t-il été retiré du soulier de la République ?» 2017, url
154 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi no 2016.886 du 8 novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la République de Côte d’Ivoire, 8 November
2016, url
155 Côte d’Ivoire, 58e fête de l'indépendance: 800 personnes amnistiées, 6 August 2018. url; The Guardian, Ivory Coastpresident pardons 800 people including ex-first lady, 7 August 2018, url
156 Reuters, Ivory Coast's Simone Gbagbo leaves detention after amnesty, 18 August 2018, url
157 FIDH, Côte d’Ivoire: Three organisations lodge an appeal against presidential amnesty, 15 November 2018, url; DUHEM
Vincent, Côte d’Ivoire: l’amnistie accordée par Alassane Ouattara contestée par plusieurs ONG, 15 November 2018, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 29

3. Political situation
3.1 General overview
Côte d’Ivoire is a Presidential Republic. 158 According to the 2016 Constitution, the president is elected,
for a five-year term, directly, by universal suffrage and he may be re-elected once. 159 The president
exercises the executive power along with the prime minister, who serves as the head of Government
and the Cabinet, and is appointed by the president. 160
The current president of Côte d’Ivoire is Alassane Dramane Ouattara, who has won a second five-year
term in 2015. 161 Ouattara was the leader of the Rassemblement des Républicains [Rally of the
Republicains] (RDR), and his re-election was endorsed by Henri Konan Bedié and his Parti
démocratique de Côte d'Ivoire [Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire] (PDCI). 162 Ouattara’s maincompetitor was Pascal Affi N’Guessan, candidate of the Front populaire ivoirien [Ivorian Popular Front](FPI), the party founded by former President Laurent Gbagbo. The FPI had split into two factions, one
pro-Gbagbo (led, until his death in 2018, by Abou Dramane Sangaré) which did not acknowledge Affi
N’guessan as President of FPI and boycotted the elections. 163
Ouattara won the 2015 presidential election with 83.7 % of ballots, while the turnout rate was
52.9 %. 164 Affi N’Guessan garnered 9.3 % of the ballots. According to Institute for Security Studies (ISS):‘The Ivorian election was peaceful, but not necessarily a democratic success […] and the elections’
results underlines that: […] the national reconciliation remains a challenge.’ 165 However, the African
Union (AU), the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) and the Plateforme des Organizations
de la Société Civile pour l’Observation des Elections en Côte d’Ivoire [Platform of Civil Society
Organisations for the Observation of Elections in Côte d’Ivoire] (POECI) considered this election fairand free. 166
On 30 October 2016, a new constitutional text was approved with a majority of votes – 93.4 % - in aconstitutional referendum. 167 The participation rate stood at 42.4 %, according to the results
published by the Commission Electorale Indépendante de Côte d’Ivoire [Independent Electoral
Commission of Côte d’Ivoire] (CEI) 168 and confirmed by the Conseil Constitutionnel [Constitutional
Council]. 169

158 CIA, World Factbook (The), Côte d’Ivoire, Executive branch, last update 20 June 2018, url

159 Republique de Côte d’Ivoire, Loi N° 2016-886 du 8 Novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la Republique de Côte d’Ivoire

2016 art. 55, url.
160 CIA, World Factbook (The), Côte d’Ivoire, Executive branch, last update 20 June 2018, url
161 BBC, Ivory Coast election: Alassane Ouattara wins second term, 28 October 2015, url
162 Mbaku J. M.,Africa Growth Initiative, African Elections in 2015: a Snapshot for Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Burkina Faso andSudan, 2016, url
163 Al-Jazeera, Ivory Coast’s Ouattara re-elected by a landslide, 28 October 2015, url; Abidjan.net, Laurent Akoun: “Nous nesommes pas contre l’unité au FPI”, 25 October 2017, url; Jeune Afrique, 21 November 2017, url; Reuters, Gbagbo’s FPI picks
presidential hopeful after years of boycotts, 9 August 2015, url; Canada, IRB, Côte d’Ivoire: The Ivorian Popular Front (Front
populaire ivoirien, FPI), including the treatment of its members (July 2014 July 2015), 24 July 2015, url
164 Roberts T. et al. Côte d’Ivoire’s 2015 Presidential Election: A Sign of Democratic Progress?, June 2016, url , pp. 54-60.
165 ISS, Côte d’Ivoire presidential election: beyond Alassane Ouattara’s victory, url
166 HRW (Human Rights Watch), To Consolidate This Peace of Ours- A Human Rights Agenda for Côte d’Ivoire, 2015; POECI,
Rapport de l’Observation du Processus Electoral de 2015, https://www.ndi.org/sites/default/files/EXAMPLE_PLATEFORMEPOECI.pdf
167 Presidential Power, Côte d’Ivoire – Analysis of presidential powers in the new constitution, 9 November 2018, url
168 CEI, Referendum pour l’adoption de la Constitution – Scrutin du 30 Octobre 2016 – Resultat National, url
169 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: le Conseil Constitutionnel valide le référendum , 4 November 2016, url

30 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTThe new Constitution of the Troisième République (in place since 8 November 2016) 170, introduces
two new offices, the Senate 171 and the Vice-President of the Republic 172, and does not mention theconcept of Ivoirité as requirement for a presidential candidate (see Chapter 2 for the concept of
Ivoirité and its consequences). 173 The opposition, in particular the FPI, boycotted the referendum. 174
The process was controlled and managed by the President without the participation of a ‘Constituent
Assembly’. Ouattara appointed in June 2016 a committee of experts for the drafting of the text. In
October 2016, the committee submitted the text to the Parliament, dominated by the RHDP, after
which the text was approved by referendum. The whole process took from June to December 2016.
There was hardly any time for public and parliamentary debates. 175
The Commission nationale des droits de l’homme de Côte d’Ivoire [National Commission for Human
Rights of Côte d’Ivoire] (CNDH), the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), the POECI andother organisations observed the referendum. 176 According to all observers, opposition parties were
subject to violations of freedom of expression and assembly along with some disturbances during thereferendum campaign 177; however it did not affect the fairness of the process. 178
The elections for the 255 seats of the National Assembly followed on 18 December 2016 after theapproval of the new Constitution, with a voter participation rate of 34.1 %. 179 The majority of the seats
was won by an election coalition of Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la démocratie et la paix,[Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace] (RHDP), comprised of RDR, PDCI (before the break
up in August 2018 between Ouattara and Bédié 180, and other minor parties. Ouattara appointed theRDR Amadou Gon Coulibaly as Prime Minister and the PDCI Daniel Kablan Duncan as the first VicePresident in Côte d’Ivoire’s history. 181
The legislative elections were characterised by a high number of independent candidates: 789 out
1 391 of all registered candidates. The majority of independents were, in reality, dissident membersof RDR or PDCI who did not achieve the formal investiture of the parties. 182

170 Abidjan.net, Côte d’Ivoire: "la IIIè République est une république moderne’’ (Ouattara), 2 January 2017, url

171 Republique de Côte d’Ivoire, Loi N° 2016-886 du 8 Novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la Republique de Côte d’Ivoire,art 85, url

172 Republique de Côte d’Ivoire, Loi N° 2016-886 du 8 Novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la Republique de Côte d’Ivoire

art. 78, url
173 Republique de Côte d’Ivoire, Loi N° 2016-886 du 8 Novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la Republique de Côte d’Ivoire
2016 art. 55, url
174 BBC, Afrique, Referendum en Côte d’Ivoire: avis partagé, 31 October 2016, url
175 Zina O. « Le caillou a-t-il été retiré du soulier de la République ? » Réconciliation nationale et réformes constitutionnelles
en Côte d’Ivoire, 2017, url, p. 33.
176 Security Council UN, Finale progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, 31
January 2017, url , p. 3.
177 HRW, Rapport Mondial, Côte d’Ivoire événements de 2017, 18 January 2018, url; Abidjan.net, Côte d’Ivoire: Respecter lesdroits du camp du « non » lors du referendum, 27 October 2016, url
178 Security Council UN, Finale progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, 31
January 2017, url , p. 3.
179 IFES (International Foundation for Electoral System), Elections in Côte d’Ivoire: 2016 Legislative Elections, 14 December
2016, url; IPU, Côte d’Ivoire Assemblée nationale (National Assembly), url
180 For background on the creation of the RHDP, see next section. Le Point Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: pourquoi l’année 2019 sera
déterminante, 9 January 2019, url; Le Point Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire- RHDP: Alassane Ouattara reste à la barre jusqu’en 2020,
28 January 2019, url
181 Security Council UN, Final progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, 31
January 2017, url, pp. 3-4.
182 Bouquet C., Les élections législatives de Décembre 2016 en Côte d’Ivoire sous le signe de la démobilisation, 2017, url, pp.
240-241.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 31

The distribution of seats in the National Assembly is: 183
Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) 167
Independents

76

Union for Democracy and Peace in Côte d'Ivoire (UDPCI) 6
Ivorian Popular Front (FPI)

3

Union for Côte d'Ivoire (UPCI)3

The new Constitution underlines the importance of gender parity but in the legislative election,
women were only 12 % of the candidates 184 and won just 27 seats in the National Assembly. 185
The legislative elections and the referendum saw a low participation of voters, in particular in theregions reputed to be pro-Gbagbo. 186
The election for the Senate took place on 24 March 2018, two years after its establishment. The
election was indirect and concerned only two thirds of the seats; the remainder seats were to beappointed by President Ouattara. However, in January 2019, these nominated seats have not been
provided. 187
On 4 July 2018, Ouattara dissolved the government, after Bédié’s refusal to have his PDCI join RDR in
one single party RHDP. At the background lie the rising rivalries between the two leaders regarding
the candidacy for the presidential elections of 2020 and the unification process of the RHDP parties
into a single party. 188 According to Ouattara, the new Constitution does set a limit of two presidential
terms, but it should not take into account his victories in 2010 and 2015. In June 2018, he announced
that he will make a decision in the coming two years whether he will present his candidacy to a nextpresidency mandate in 2020. 189
This announcement was, according to Bédié not in accordance to the Daoukro Appeal in 2014, bywhich his PDCI supported Ouattara’s candidacy in the 2015 presidential election. 190 The Daoukro
Appeal forms the political basis of the unification process of the RHDP in which alternation in thecandidacy for presidential election between the RDR and PDCI was the cornerstone. 191 However,Ouattara stated that he never promised the support of RDR to a PDCI’s candidate in the 2020
elections. 192
Due to these rivalries within the coalition, Ouattara implemented a government reshuffle and Amadou
Gon Coulibaly was re-appointed as Prime minister of a government comprised of 35 ministers and 5
secretaries of state. 193 All the PDCI members of the Cabinet were fired, but with the re-shuffle almost

183 IPU, Côte d’Ivoire Assemblée nationale (National Assembly), url

184 Godfrey G. (guest post in Presidential-Power.com), Takeaways from Legislative Election in Côte d’Ivoire, 16 January 2017,url

185 IPU, Côte d’Ivoire Assemblé Nationale (National Assembly), 15 June 2018, url. See also an interview with female MP

Yasmina Ouégnin, Miran-Guyon, Marie, Autobiographie d’un engagement politique en Côte d’Ivoire - Entretien avec Yasmina
Ouégnin, 2017, url
186 BTI, Côte d’Ivoire Country Report, 2018 url
187 Le Monde En Côte d’Ivoire, la coalition au pouvoir remporte le premières élections sénatoriales, 26 March 2018, url.
188 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: Alassane Ouattara dissout le gouvernement, 4 July 2018, url
189 Bloomberg, Ivory Coast President Ouattara Says He May Seek Third Term, 3 June 2018, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire:comment le discours d’Alassane Ouattara sur le 3e mandat a évolué, 5 June 2018, url
190 Abidjan.net, L’”Appel de Daoukro”, acte politique majeur en 2014, 1 January 2015, url
191 Abidjan.net, RHDP: la mise en place du parti unifié constitute le « prolongement de l’appel de Daoukro » (Duncan), 4 June
2018, url
192 Koaci.com, Côte d’IIvoire: Rupture de confiance, Bedé en gilet pare balle chez Ouattara, 8 August 2018, url
193 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: un nouveau gouvernement ivoirien aux couleurs du RHDP, 10 July 2018, url32 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

all were re-hired in different positions. 194 Asking members of his party not to endorse the new unified
party constitution, Bédié expelled the 18 PDCI members who joined the new government from thebureau excutife of the party. 195
In August 2018, the PDCI withdrew from the RHDP coalition and Bédié declared that the PDCI isentitled ‘to promote a platform of collaboration’ with other political parties. 196
The current political situation in Côte d’Ivoire is characterised by an escalation of tensions and violent
verbal attacks amongst different parties. 197
Beyond the breakup between PDCI and RDR and their leaders, Guillaume Kigbafori Soro resigned fromhis position as Speaker of National Assembly in February 2019 due to the tensions with President
Ouattara regarding in particular the presidency of RDR and the creation of the unified party. 198 On
23 February 2019, Soro met Bedié in Daoukro in order to discuss the electoral platform/alliance of
opposition parties for 2020 elections that may comprise also the FPI. 199 Soro is said to havepresidential ambitions but he has not confirmed yet whether he plans to run in 2020. 200 Soro’s
candidacy is openly supported by the Rassemblement pour la Côte d’Ivoire [Rally for the Cote d’Ivoire](RACI), a political movement which became a political party in February 2019. Soro is the Honorary
President of the RACI. 201 Also Bédié did not confirm his candidacy in the 2020 election but he will belikely the candidate of PDCI. 202 As said above, President Ouattara declared that he will decide on his
candidacy in 2020 but he stated that the 2016 Constitution allows him to be candidate. 203
According to the EU diplomatic representatives, Cote d’Ivoire’s political situation is characterised by aworsening of corruption and social inequalities and a gradual shifting towards authoritarianism. 204
A deep characteristic of the political landscape in Côte d’Ivoire is the high rate of corruption: Côte
d’Ivoire is the 105th least corrupt nation out of 180 countries according to Transparencyinternational. 205 In order to fight the phenomenon and improve transparency, the government has
taken some measures such as the creation of the High Authority of Good Governance, theinvestigation led by State’s General Inspectorate (SGI) and the institution of a requirement that all
public officials submit asset declarations. 206 However, despite the actions undertaken by the

194 Africa Confidential, It’s Ouattara Party, 27 July 2018, url, p. 12

195 Reuters, Ivory Coast government faces collapse in coalition row, 20 July 2018, url; Africa News, Côte d’Ivoire: desexclusions en cascade au sein de la coalition au pouvoir, 24 July 2018, url
196 Africa News, Ivory Coast: PDCI – RDR alliance broken [The Morning Call], 10 August 2018, url
197 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: la recrudescence de la violence verbale entre politiques indigne la société civile, 5 February
2019, url
198 Financial Afrik, Côte d’Ivoire: Guillaume Soro, 72 Heures après…!, 10 February 2019, url; France24, Leader of Ivory Coast’s
parliament Soro resigns amid dispute with Presdent Ouattara, 8 February 2019, url
199 RFI Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: Guillaume Soro rencontre Henri Konan Bédié à Doukro, 24 February 2019, url; Jeune Afrique,Côte d’Ivoire: Chacun Cherche son candidat pour 2020, 20 December 2018, url; BBC, Bédié-Ouattara: la guerre a-t-elle
repris?, 28 January 2019, url; L’Infodrome, Depuis Daukro, Bédié cogne ses adversaires: ‘En 2020, nous allons bilayer lesfaussaires impénitents’, 22 February 2019, url
200 Reuters, Ivorian parliament speaker resigns ahead of possibile presidential run, 8 Februay 2019, url
201 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: le RACI, mouvement de soutien à Guillaume Soro, devient un parti, 17 February 2019, url; L’Infodrome,
Situation socio-politique, Guillaume Soro: “Si je n’étais pas rebelle, Alassane ne serait pas president en Côte d’Ivoire”, 6March 2019, url
202 L’Infodrome, présidentielle 2020: La candidature de Bédié se precise 5 January 2019, url; Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire:
2020, la candidature d’Henri Konan Bédié se precise. Décryptage 14 November 2018, url; Africa news, Présidentielle 2020
en Côte d’Ivoire: l’ex-président Bédié pourrait se presenter, 11 January 2019, url
203 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: Alassane Ouattara dira en 2020 s’il brigue un troisième mandata, 26 January 2019, url; RFI,
Ivorian president Ouattara says all are free to stand in presidential election, 11 February 2019, url; Le Point Afrique , Côte
d’Ivoire – RHDP: Alassane Ouattara reste à la barre jusqu’en 2020, 28 January 2019, url
204 Le Monde, La Côte d’Ivoire « moins solide et démocratique » qu’on pourrait le penser, selon l’UE, 2 August 2018, url,
205 Transparency International, Côte d’Ivoire, 2018, url
206 IACC, Despite Legal Frameworks, Corruption Still Thrives in Côte d’Ivoire, 4 February 2019, url; Export.gov, Côte d’Ivoire– Corruption, 1 September 2017, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 33

government, the corruption remains widespread and has affected many sectors of political andeconomic life of the country. 207

3.2 Political parties
From 1960 to 1990, the political landscape of Côte d’Ivoire was dominated by the only party PDCI, led
by President Félix Houphouet-Boigny. In May 1990, opposition parties were legalised and a numberof parties were registered. 208
The Ivorian Constitution guarantees the free establishment of political parties, except if they are‘organized along regional, religious, tribal, ethnic or racial lines’. 209
The most relevant actors in the political landscape of Côte d’Ivoire are:•Front populaire ivoirien [Ivorian Popular Front] (FPI) – split into two factions: the moderate
one led by N’Guessan, and the so called Gbagbo ou Rien (GOR), led by Sangaré until his deathoccurred in November 2018 and currently by Laurent Gbagbo and Assoa Adou, the party inwhich the supporters of Laurent Gbagbo recognise themselves the most;•Liberté et Démocratie pour la Republique [Liberty and Democracy for the Republic] (LIDER) –President Mamadou Koulibaly;•

Mouvement des forces d'avenir [Movement of the future Forces] (MFA) – Split into two
factions: one led by Moutayé, and the other one led by Siaka Ouattara;•

Parti démocratique de Côte d'Ivoire [Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire] (PDCI) – President
Henri Konan Bédié;•Parti ivoirien des travailleurs [ Ivorian Workers Party] (Pit) – Split into two faction: one led by
Joseph Séka Séka and the other one led by Aka Ahizi Daniel;•

Rassemblement des Républicains [Rally of the Republicans] (RDR) –President Henriette Dagri
Diabaté and honorary President Alassane Ouattara;•

Union pour la Côte d'Ivoire [Union for Côte d’Ivoire] (UPCI) – in 2018 split into two
factions, one led by Brahima Soro and the other one led by Serge Brou;•

Union pour la Démocratie et la Paix en Côte d'Ivoire [Union for Democracy and Peace in Côte
d’Ivoire] (UDPCI) President: Albert Toikeusse Mabri.210

207 Areion 24, Côte d’Ivoire: le bilan inquiétant du « Systéme Ouattara », 28 January 2019, url; RFI, Journée mondiale de lutecontre la corruption. Où en est la Côte d’Ivoire?, 9 December 2018, url; Africa N°1, Côte d’Ivoire: « Le Fléau de la corruption
present à tous les niveaux », 4 December 2018, url
208 Encyclopedia Britannica, Government and society – Political process, last update 7 March 2019, url
209Republique de Côte d’Ivoire, Loi N° 2016-886 du 8 Novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la Republique de Côte d’Ivoire
2016 url, art.25
210 CIA, World Factbook (The), Côte d’Ivoire, Legislative Branch, last update 20 March 2019, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire:s’allier pour mieux régner, 29 August 2018, url; 2 Com Info, FPI décision du président Luarent Gbagbo, 20 November 2018,
url; RFI, Côte d’Ivoire : Alassande Ouattara renonce à la présidence du RDR, 10 September 2017, url; L’Intelligent d’Abidjan,
Upci: Soro Brahima démis pour trahison, Sidibe Yacou Président par interim, 10 June 2018 url; Ivoiresoir, UPCI : Brahima Sorodénonce « l’idéologie du ventre » du RHDP et appelle à sortir du « cycle infernal », 1 January 2019, url; Abidjan.net, Côte
d’Ivoire / crise au MFA : le congrés du camp Moutayé interdit pour « menace de trouble à l’ordre public » , 18 May 2018, url34 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

Figure 1: Reshaping the political map of Côte d'Ivoire

In general, Ivorian political parties share common characteristics and critical issues such as:
authoritative management of the charismatic leader of the party, the internal rivalries among highranked members, conflicts regarding the interpretation of the statutes and the strategic targets andtroubled process of internal democratisation. 211
Moreover, the process of unification of RHDP has increased the centrifugal forces in many Ivorianparties which have led to a progressive weakening of the opposition parties. 212
Examples of these dynamics are represented by the new movements joining the RHDP such as PDCI –Renaissance founded by Kablan Duncan and separated from the PDCI (see Section 3.2.1.2) 213 andConcorde founded by Alcide Djédjé, former member of FPI, N’Guessan’s faction 214, and by many splits,
occurred in different political parties. These movements have led to situations of ‘bicephalism’ as in
the cases of UPCI, MFA and the small left-wing party called Parti ivoirien des travailleurs [Ivorian
Workers Party] (PIT), which joined the RHDP-coalition only in 2016. In these parties the leadership is
split between two positions: one pro-unification and one against the unification with the RHDP. 215
Moreover, the high number of independent candidates, even if after the election most of them usually
join a coalition, in each election in Côte d’Ivoire represents a further element of fragmentation in thepolitical landscape of the country. 216

211 Connection Ivoirienne, Côte d’Ivoire: De la division des partis politiques à l’exigence d’une démocratie fonctionelle, 25

September 2018, url
212 L’Infodrome, situation politique: Ouattara et Bédié se partagent des partis politique, 23 August 2018, url
213 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire – Lancement du PDCI-Renaissance: vers une guerre ouverte entre Bédié et Duncan?, 24
December 2018, url
214 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire – Alcide Djedje: ‘Mon parti va intégrer le RHDP’, 31 August 2018, url
215 Afriki Press, Upci, ex-parti de Gnamien Konan, dit non au parti unifié: Brahima Soro sur le depart, 24 April 2018, url; Jeune
Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: le parti unifié RHDP se met en place, sans Bédié et en l’absence de Soro, 16 July 2018, url; Koaci.com,
Koacinaute: “Entrée” du PIT au RHDP, Aka Ahizi écrit à Henri Konan Bédié, 6 June 2016, url; RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: la coalition au
pouvoir s’agrandit, avec l’arrivée du PIT, 25 May 2016, url; L’Expression Quotidien, Côte d’Ivoire: les vieux démons
resurgissent au PIT, 18 January 2019, url; Koaci.com, Côte d’Ivoire: Convention du PIT, gauche et PDCI unanimes ‘c’est un
régime fasciste qui tente de s’installer’, 19 January 2019, url; MagikNews, Rififi au PIT à propos du RHDP/ Le Sg du parti
recadre Wodié et les dissidents, 23 January 2019, url; Fratmat.info, Congrès constitutif du RHDP; Le Pit appelle ses militants
à se mobiliser, 24 January 2019, url
216 Le Monde, Côte d’Ivoire: le pouvoir bousculé par les indépendants, 23 December 2016, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire:confusion autout des ralliements d’élus indépendants au RHDP, 25 October 2018, url; Apa News, Municipales ivoiriennes:
684 listes dont 389 indépendants, 11 September 2018, url; BBC, Le RHDP en tête des elections locales en Côte d’Ivoire, 17
October 2018, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 35

3.2.1 The main political parties and alliances
3.2.1.1 Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la démocratie et la paix, [Rally ofHouphouëtists for Democracy and Peace] (RHDP)The RHDP, founded in 2005, is the ruling coalition party composed of RDR, PDCI, MFA and UDPCI. 217
It was founded as electoral coalition, in opposition to former President Gbagbo, based on the conceptof Houphouétisme or rather the recovery of the ideas and the actions of former President Félix
Houphouët-Boigny. 218. Until 2018, RHDP held, according to Freedom House: ‘… a virtual lock onnational political power’. 219
On 16 July 2018, the constituent general assembly of the RHDP was held, during which the presidential
party RDR and its allies signed the statutes of the future unified party. 220 Henriette Diabaté, Presidentof RDR, was appointed as Vice-President of RHDP party while Ouattara became its president. 221 On
26 January 2019, the first congress was held of the unified party RHDP, composed by RDR, UDPCI andfactions of other parties such as: MFA, PIT and UPCI. 222

3.2.1.2 Parti démocratique de Côte d'Ivoire – Rassemblement démocratique africain[Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire – African democratic rally] (PDCI - RDA)
The PDCI - RDA was founded by Félix Houphouët-Boigny in 1946. 223 It was the sole party until 1990. 224
In 1993, after Houphouët-Boigny’s death, Henri Konan Bédié became the leader of the PDCI-RDA.
Bédié’s take-over ended a struggle for power between Bédié and Alassane Ouattara, the then Prime
Minister. 225 In 1994, the PDCI split and Ouattara joined the breakaway party RDR. The PDCI won again
the presidential election in 1995, boycotted by the RDR and the FPI. 226 The PDCI ultimately lost powerin the 1999 military coup.
The last years of PDCI’s supremacy in the Ivorian political landscape were characterised by the
introduction of the concept of Ivoirité which stressed the ethnic balance of the country and led to a
deterioration of the attitude towards migrant workers. 227 This concept had the political function of
excluding Ouattara from running for president in 1995 and triggered the conflict regarding which
ethnic group is more Ivorian. 228
After years of rivalries with Ouattara’s RDR, the PDCI joined the coalition RHDP in 2005. the coalition
was in opposition of former President Laurent Gbagbo in the 2006 election (which was postponed to2010, see Section 2.5). In 2010, Bédié’s party supported the election of Alassane Ouattara as president
and with the ‘Appel de Daoukro’ in 2014 renewed his support to his ally in the 2015 presidential
election. 229

217 Peace Insight, Ivoiry Coast: Key People and Parties,n.d, url

218 Afrik.com, Rassemblement des Houphouétistes pour la Démocratie et la Paix, 19 May 2005, url
219 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2017, Côte d’Ivoire profile, url

220 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: le parti unifié RHDP prend forme, 17 July 2018, url; Bloomberg, Ivory Coast Coalition Names Ouattara

as Unified party Leader, 17 July 2018, url
221 Africa Confidential, It’s Ouattara Party, 27 July 2018, url
222 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: après la création du RHDP, que reste-t-il des anciens partis?, 31 January 2019, url
223 PDCI RDA, Le PDCI RDA, Notre Fondateur, n.d., url
224 Peace Insight, Ivoiry Coast: Key People and Parties, n.d., url
225 Norway, Landinfo, Ethnicity, Ivoirité and Conflict, 2 November 2006, url
226 IPU, Côte d’Ivoire – Parliamentary Chamber: Assemblée nationale – Elections held in 1995, n.d., url
227 UK Home Office, Operational Guidance Note, Ivory Coast, 13 February 2009, url; Norway, LandInfo, Ethnicity, Ivoirité and
Conflict, 2 November 2006, url
228 Norway, LandInfo, Ethnicity, Ivoirité and Conflict, 2 November 2006, url
229France 24, Côte d’Ivoire: entre Ouattara et Bédié, le torchon brûle…de nouveau, 10 August 2018, url ; Afrique sur 7, Côte
d’Ivoire: Les dessous du divorce Ouattara/Bédié, selon Guikahué, 27 September 2018, url36 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

During Ouattara’s second mandate, new tensions arose between RDR and PDCI regarding thealternation in candidacy and the unified party process which was initially endorsed by the PDCI.
Tensions reached high levels as exemplified by Bédié’s official communication of 13 July 2018 in which
he forbade PDCI’s leaders and militants to participate in the General Assembly of the Parti unifié[Unified Party]. 230
On 9 August 2018, Bédié announced the PDCI’s withdrawal from the project of a unified party. 231 The
breakup was primarily due to the non-respect of the previously agreed alternation in the candidacy.
Indeed Bedié does not exclude the possibility to be the candidate of PDCI in the 2020 election. 232
Moreover the unification, from Bédié’s perspective, is not needed in a situation in which there is nota strong opposition in the representative institutions of Cote d’Ivoire, due to the boycott by FPI. 233
Following the withdrawal of the PDCI from the unified party process, Daniel Kablan Duncan, VicePresident of Côte d’Ivoire and former Vice-President of PDCI, created, with the other PDCI membersof the government, a movement called PDCI - Renaissance, that supports the unification in RHDP. 234
This split was strongly condemned by Bédié and he dismissed high-ranking PDCI members who
supported Duncan’s movement such as Ahoua N’Doli Théophile and Achi Patrick.235 Therefore several
PDCI members joined the PDCI - Renaissance. 236
The end of the coalition with the RDR opened new scenarios for the PDCI and in general for thepolitical landscape of Côte d’Ivoire, for example a new coalition with other opposition parties, such as
Affi N’Guessan’s FPI faction, in order to present a PDCI candidature in the 2020 election. 237
The PDCI structure comprises:•••

the presidency made up by le Président, les Vice-présidents, le Comité des Sages [Committeeof Wise Men] and le Secrétariat Exécutif [Executive secretary];le Bureau politique [Political bureau], les Secrétaires Géneraux de Section [General secretaries
of sections]; andtwo Organisations Spécialisées [Special organisations]: l’Union des Femmes du PDCI [Women
League of PDCI], (UFDCI) and la Jeunesse du PDCI [Youth League of PDCI] (JPDCI). 238

230 Ivoire Soir, Bedie Durcit le Ton: ‘Je demand à tous les militants du PDCI de ne pas s’associer’ à l‘AG du Parti Unifiée, 13

July 2018, url
231 France24, Côte d’Ivoire, Côte d’Ivoire : entre Ouattara et Bédié, le torchon brûle… de nouveau, 10 August 2018, url
232 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire ; le PDCI ne veut pas d’un parti unifié avec le RDR avant 2020, 18 June 2018, url; RFI, Côte d’Ivoire : le
PDCI ne veut pas d’un parti unifié avec le RDR avant 2020, 18 June 2018, url; Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire : les dessous dudivorce Ouattara/Bédié, selon Guikahué, 27 September 2018, url
233 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire – Christian Bouquet : « Tous les rapprochements sont possibles », 20 August 2018, url
234 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: Henri Konan Bédié se sépare de vice-presidents pro-RHDP, 4 January 2019, url; Afrique sur7, Côte d’Ivoire, Enfin les raisons de la colère de Konan Bédié contre Kablan Duncan, 7 January 2019, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte
d’Ivoire – Lancement du PDCI-Renaissance : vers une guerre ouverte entre Bédié et Duncan ?, 24 December 2018, url
235 Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire, Enfin les raisons de la colére de Konan Bédié contre Kablan Duncan, 7 January 2019, url;
L’infodrome, PDCI : Deux membres du bureau politique, déshabillent Bédié et Guikahué, voici ce qu’ils prévoient de faire, ;Rumeurs d’Abidjan, PDCI RDA : Nouveau coup du pur Bédié, 6 March 2019, url; RFI, Côte d’Ivoire : Bédié fait le ménage dansles instance dirigeantes du PDCI 5 January 2019, url
236 L’infodrome, PDCI : Deux membres du bureau politique, déshabillent Bédié et Guikahué, voici ce qu’ils prévoient de faire,
14 February 2019, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : Henri Konan Bédié se sépare de vice-presidents pro-RHDP, 4 January
2019, url
237 Jeune Afrique, Pascal Affi N’Guessan : « L’alliance FPI-PDCI, c’est un vieux souhait qui va bientôt se réaliser », 16 August
2018 url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: s’allier pour mieux régner, 29 August 2018, url
238 PDCI RDA, Notre Président, n.d.; PDCI RDA, Les Vice-Présidents, n.d. url; PDCI RDA, Le Comité des Sages, n.d.; PDCI RDA,Les Secrétariat Exécutif, n.d. url; PDCI RDA, Le Bureau Politique, n.d., url; PDCI RDA, Les Sécrétaires Généraux de Section, n.d.
url; PDCI RDA, UFPDCI, n.d. url; PDCI RDA, JPDCI, n.d. urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 37

The press organ of the PDCI is Le Nouveau Réveil 239 although according to Courrier International it isa newspaper close to PDCI. 240
Decentralised party structures are formed by village committees, sections, general delegations anddepartmental and communal delegations. 241
Officially, according to the Statute, members of PDCI-RDA participate in the selection of the officialsof the party and every one of them is eligible. 242 However, the decision-making process within theparty is typically top-down as shown in cases of resignations/appointments of political cadres or the
choice of the political direction or alliances of the party (e.g. Appel de Daoukro). 243

3.2.1.3 Rassemblement des Républicains [Rally of the Republicans] (RDR)
The RDR was founded in 1994 by Djéni Kobina as a central, democratic liberalist party, splitting fromthe PDCI. 244 It is a founding member of the African Liberal Network 245 and it joined the Liberal
International at the Dakar Congress in 2003. 246
The party is based on the political ideas of Ouattara, as reported on its official website. 247 The coreidea of RDR is that the three key areas of development for Côte d’Ivoire are: ‘… good economic policy,
a conductive legal and political environment, and attention to equitable social development. Finally,
the RDR believes in the growth of a free society based on personal liberty, personal responsibility andsocial justice’. 248. However, an internal report by EU ambassadors, cited in AFP on 2 August 2018,
reportedly criticises the government for gradually restricting the freedom of expression and for not
listening to internal and external criticism, while social protest is increasing. At the political level, thecreation of a unified party is considered a way to ensure reelection and marginalising opposition
movements. 249
The party and its leader are supporters of the economic liberalism and the withdrawal of the social
state. Actually this approach has caused a strong perception of inequalities in the Ivorian society: themajority of the population, indeed, feels that there is a bias, mostly ethnic-based, in the access toopportunities and advantages of the economic growth. 250 Moreover, the government, facing thissituation, shows a progressive closure to external or internal criticism. 251
The RDR structure comprises: le secrétariat général [general secretariat], les secrétaires nationaux[national secretaries], le conseil politique [the political council], le Rassemblement des femmes
républicaines [rally of republican women] (RFR), le Rassemblement des enseignants républicains [rallyof republican teachers] (RER), les inspecteurs [the inspectors], le Rassemblement des jeunes

239 Akindes F. A., La reinvention de soi dans la violence, 2011, url, p. 66.
240 Courrier international, Le Nouvea Réveil, n.d. url
241 PDCI RDA, Statuts, n.d., url , artt.3-10
242 PDCI RDA, Statuts, n.d url, art.7

243 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: Bédié fait le ménage dans les instance dirigeantes du PDCI, 5 January 2019, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte

d’Ivoire: Henri Konan Bédié se sépare de vice-présidents pro-RHDP, 4 January 2019, url; RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: Ehnri Konan Bèdié
reçoit les cadres du PDCI à Daoukro, 28 October 2018, url; Le Monde, Côte d’Ivoire: « l’appel de Daoukro » adopté dans un
unanimisme brejnévien, 1 March 2015, url.
244 RDR, Présentation, n.d., url
245 African Liberal Network, Member Parties, Our Members – Africa – RDR Côte d’Ivoire , n.d., url
246 Liberal International, Our Members – Africa – RDR, n.d., , url
247 RDR, Présentation, n.d., url
248 African Liberal Network, Our Members – Africa – RDR Côte d’Ivoire, n.d., url
249 Le Monde, La Côte d’Ivoire « moins solide et démocratique » qu’on pourrait le penser, selon l’UE, 2 August 2018, url
250 Akindés F., « On ne mange pas les ponts et le gourdron »: les sentiers sinueux d’une sortie de crise en Côte d’Ivoire, 2017,url
251 Le Monde, La Côte d’Ivoire « moins solide et démocratique » qu’on pourrait le penser selon l’UE, 2 August 2018, url38 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

républicains [rally of young republicans] (RJR), les secrétaires départementaux [the departmental
secretaries], les commissions techniques [technical commissions]. 252
RDR’s press organ is Le Patriote. 253
From 1999 to 2017, Ouattara was President of the RDR. 254 On September 2017, during the third party
Congress 255, Ouattara chose Henriette Dagri Diabaté as new president of the party 256, even if theorganisational chart of the party refers to her as ‘godmother’ of the party. 257 Kandia Camara was
appointed as general secretary of RDR. 258 Historically its supporters mainly originate from the northof Côte d’Ivoire. 259
The RDR won the elections in 2010 after boycotting the ones in 1995 and in 2000 260, due to therejection of Ouattara's candidacy based on his then alleged Burkinabé origin. 261
Since 2011, RDR’s main political effort has been the attempt to create a unified party named RHDP
with other parties of the RHDP coalition, before the presidential election in 2020. It is the strongest
party within the RHDP. 262
The core idea of the creation of a unified party is the achievement of the stability of the state and thepolitical landscape, dominated since the 1990s by three big parties (PDCI, RDR and FPI). These threeparties represent around 95 % of the electorate, even if none of them can gain a presidential election
alone. Hence a unified party (at least composed by RDR and PDCI) may represent around 2/3 of theelectorate. However, it is also noted that this may lead to a large power block, marginalisation of the
opposition and reduction of public debate and democratic competition. 263
The RDR’s convention on 5 May 2018 approved the project of unification. 264

3.2.1.4 Union pour la Démocratie et la Paix en Côte d'Ivoire [Union for Democracy and Peacein Côte d’Ivoire] (UDPCI)The UDPCI is a centrist party and its ideology is based on social liberalism. 265 It was founded by General
Robert Gueï in 2001. 266 The President of UDPCI, Albert Toikeusse Mabri 267, was State Minister,
Minister of Planning and Development from 1 June 2011 to 13 January 2016, then Minister of Foreign
Affairs from 12 January 2016 till 25 November 2016. 268 He was ousted due to the conflicts with
President Ouattara and the Executive board of the RHDP regarding the selection of candidates for the
252 RDR, Les structures, n.d., url
253 RDR, Présentation, n.d., url

254 African Liberal Network, Member Parties, n.d. url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : Alassane Ouattara choisit Henriette Dagri

Diabaté pour présider son parti, 10 September 2017.
255 Apa news, Henriette Diabaté, présidente, Kandia Camara SG: les femmes prennent le “pouvoir” au RDR, 10 September
2018, url
256 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: Alassane Ouattara choisit Henriette Diabaté pour présider son parti, 10 September 2017, url
257 RDR, Bureau National RFR, 1 May 2018, url
258 Apa News, RDR: Kandia Camara nomme 56 secrétaires généraux adjoints dont des proches de Guillaume Soro, 14
December 2017, url
259 BBC, Q&A: Ivory Coast parliamentary elections, 11 December 2011, url
260 Peace Insight, Ivoiry Coast: Key People and Parties, n.d. url
261 CNN, President-elect: Ivory Coast's Alassane Ouattara, 11 April 2011, url
262 Security Council UN, Finale progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, 31
January 2017, url , p. 3.
263 Contrepoints, Côte d’Ivoire: le parti unifié menace la démocratie, 9 June 2018, url; Le Monde, La Côte d’Ivoire « moins
solide et démocratique » qu’on pourrait le penser selon l’UE, 2 August 2018, url
264 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: le RDR adopte le project de parti unifié RHDP, 6 May 2018, url
265 UDPCI, Statuts et Reglement Interieur, December 2013, url, art. 2.
266 Jeune Afrique, Mabri Toikeusse peut-il sauver l’UDPCI ?, 4 October 2018, url
267 CIA, World Factbook (The) – Côte d’Ivoire – Government-Political Parties and Leaders, 2018, url
268 UDPCI, Le Président – Biographie, Curriculum Vitae, n.d, url ; Côte d’Ivoire, Gouvernement : le Chef de l’Etat Sem Alassane
Ouattara a mis fin au fonctions des ministres Toikeusse Mambri et Gnamien Konan, 22 November 2016 urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 39

legislative election in 2016. 269 Indeed the UDPCI, its candidates put in minority by RDR and PDCI in
certain constituencies, submitted its own lists of candidates. 270
However UDPCI has joined the unified party project and its delegates have attended the Constituent
Assembly of RHDP on 16 July 2018 and Mabri was appointed second Vice-President of the unified
party. 271
In the governmental reshuffle in July 2018 Mabri was appointed as minister of high education andresearch. 272
Moreover, in January 2019, UDPCI and its leader participated in the first congress of RHDP. 273 The
creation of the RHDP did not lead to the dissolution of the UDPCI, however, the process of fusion of
the different parties is thought to be progressive. 274
The structure of UDPCI comprises: la Direction du Parti [Direction of the party], l’Inspection du Parti,[Inspectors of the party], le Cabinet du Président, [Cabinet of the President], le Conseil d’Honneur etde l’Ordre [Council of honour and order], la Commission Technique [Technical commission], lesSecrétariats Nationaux [National secretaries], le Bureau politique [political bureau], les secrétariats
régionaux [regional secretaries], l’Union des Enseignants de l’UDPCI [teachers League of UDPCI] (UEUDPCI), l’Union des Femmes de l’UDPCI [women League of UPDCI] (UF-UPDCI) and la Jeunesse del’UDPCI [Youth league of UPDCI] (JUPDCI). 275
The members of UDPCI have to belong to a comité de base [local committee]. 276

3.2.1.5 Union pour la Côte d'Ivoire [Union for Côte d’Ivoire] (UPCI)The Union pour la Côte d'Ivoire is a liberal party, founded in 2009 by Gnamien Konan 277, which does
not refuse the State intervention in specific key sectors in order to guarantee the protection of themost vulnerable groups of the population. 278
The UPCI joined the RHDP and supported the candidacy of Alassane Ouattara in the 2015 presidential
election. 279 However in 2016, due to the disagreement with Ouattara concerning the candidacies tolegislative elections, Gnamien, then Minister of Environment, was fired. 280 The UPCI submitted its own
list of candidates. 281

269 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : les ministres Mabri Toikeusse et Gnamien Konan limogés du gouvernement, 25 November
2016, url
270 Afrique sur 7, Côte d'Ivoire : Législatives, l'UDPCI de Mabri claque la porte du RHDP, 22 November 2018, url
271 RFI, Côte d'Ivoire: le parti unifié RHDP prend forme, 17 July 2018, url; Apa news, Ouattara désigné président du Parti unifié
RHDP adopté « à l’unanimité », 16 July 2018, url
272 La Afrique Tribune, Côte d’Ivoire: le noveau gouvernement enfin nommé (LISTE), 10 July 2019, url
273 Fratmat.info, RHDP, Ouverture du premier congress avec plus de 10 mille congressistes, 25 January 2019, url
274 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: après la creation du RHDP, que rest-t-il des anciens partis?, 31 January 2019, url; L’Infodrome, Aprés lecongress du samedi 26 janvier, confusion totale au RHDP, 7 February 2019, url
275 UDPCI, La direction generale du parti, n.d, url; UDPCI, Inspection du parti, n.,d. url; UDPCI, Cabinet du Président, n.d. url;
UDPCI, Conseil d’Honneur et de l’Ordre, n.d. url; UDPCI, Commission Techinque, n.d. url; UDPCI, Secretariats Nationaux, n.d.
url; UDPCI, Bureau Politique, n.d.; UDPCI, Secretariats Regionaux, n.d.; UDPCI, Organes Speciales, n.d, url
276 Udpci, Statuts et Reglement Interieur, art. 8, url,
277 Abidjan.net, Aprés sa démission de l’UPCI, Gnamien Konan veut créer un autre mouvement, 12 June 2017, url ,278 UPCI, Historique de l'UPCI, n.d., url
279 Jeune Afrique, Présidentielle en Côte d’Ivoire: 10 candidatures validées par la Cour costitutionelle, 9 September 2015, url
280 RFI, En Côte d’Ivoire, la grogne de l’UPCI contre l’accord de parti unifié, 1 May 2018, url; Ivoire Business, Côte d’Ivoire:
Mambri et Gnamien limogés pour indiscipline et désaccord avec les houphouétiste, selon le porte-parole du gouvernement,
1 December 2016, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : les ministres Mabri Toikeusse et Gnamien Konan limogés dugouvernement, 25 November 2016, url
281 Abidjan.net, Législatives 2016: La liste des candidates UPCI, 18 November 2016, url40 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTIn 2017, Gnamien Konan left his party.282 In July 2018, Soro Brahima, former secretary of the party,
was appointed as President of UPCI. 283 In April 2018, the UPCI militants voted against the unified party(RHDP) with 90 % of ballots. 284 The refusal to join the unified party RHDP led to a split of the party. 285
On 9 June 2018, Soro was ousted, in absentia, by the political bureau of the dissident faction of theparty and replaced ad interim by Sidibé Yacou. 286 However, the official bodies of the party renewed
their support to Soro Brahima. 287
In July 2018, the dissident faction of UPCI held its congress in Abidjan in order to associate with theunification process of RHDP and to elect Serge Brou as the new President of the party. The congress
was not recognised by Soro Brahima who has accused the presidential’s party, RDR, of having actively
supported the split. 288
The UPCI structure comprises: le Bureau Politique [political bureau], le Conseil National [National
Council], la Jeunesse UPCI [UPCI youth league], l’Union des Femmes UPCI [Women’s League of the
UPCI], le Comité des Enseignants [Committee of teachers] and le Comité des Entrepreneurs[Committee of entrepreneurs]. 289

3.2.1.6 Front populaire ivoirien [Ivorian Popular Front] (FPI)The FPI was founded by Laurent Gbagbo in 1982. 290 That same year, due to the harassment by
Houphouët Boigny's security forces 291, Gbagbo went into exile in France. 292 In Côte d'Ivoire opposition
parties had been banned since the independence of the country in 1960. 293 At the beginning, the FPI
was a clandestine Marxist-Leninist political movement 294 and its supporters fought for the
introduction of a multiparty system. 295 In 1988, the FPI became a political party and was officiallyrecognised in 1990. 296 It is a centre-left democratic and socialist party. 297 The FPI rose to power in2000 and Laurent Gbagbo was the President of the Republic until 2010. 298 Nevertheless, Gbagbo

282 Afriki Press, Gnamien Konan désavoué et éjecté: dessous d’une vraie fausse démission, 10 June 2017, url; Koaci, Côte

d'Ivoire: UPCI, Gnamien Konan démissionne de la présidence du parti, l’interim assure par le SG pour trois mois, 12 June
2017, url , accesse 28 December 2018.
283 UPCI, Maitre Soro Brahima, président de UPCI (Union Pour la Côte d’Ivoire), 9 August 2017, url; AIP, Côte d’Ivoire/ 1er
Congrés de l’UPCI: Soro Brahima élu nouveau president du parti, 10 July 2018, url
284 GRIP, Monitoring de la Stabilité Régionale dans le Bassin Sahélien et en Afrique de l’Ouest, April-June 2018, 5 July 2018,
url; Afriki Press, Upci, ex-parti de Gnamien konan, dit non au parti unifié : Brahima Soro su le départ, 28 April 2019, url;
Rumeurs d’Abidjan, 24 January 2019, Brahima Soro de l’UPCI avant le Congrés du RHDP : « Nous ne sommes plus avec le
RHDP, que cela soit très clair », 24 January 2019, url
285 Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire: le “Oui de la dissidence de l’UPCI au parti unifié “n’est pas pour un poste ministerial, 10 July
2019, url; Koaci.com, Côte d’Ivoire : L’UPCI accuse de « égarés » qui tentent de diviser le parti et considère la question du3ème mandat de Ouattara comme un « non-sujet », url
286 L’Intelligent d’Abidjan, Upci: Soro Brahima démis pour trahison, Sidibe Yacou Président par interim, 10 June 2018, url
287 L’Infodrome, Upci: Le conseil national réaffirme sa confiance à Me Soro Brahima, 12 June 2018, url
288 Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire: le “oui” de la dissidence de l’Upci au parti unifié n’est pas pour un poste ministériel, 10 July
2018, url; Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire: Le bichéphalisme s’installe à l’UPCI (papier d’angle), 9 July 2019, url Ivoire Soir, UPCI :Brahima Soro dénonce « l’ideologie du ventre » du RHDP et appelle à sortir du « cycle infernal », url
289 UPCI, Membres du Bureau Politique, n.d., url; UPCI, Membres du Conseil National, n.d. url; UPCI, Structures Spécialisées,n.d., url
290 Trial International, Laurent Gbagbo, 9 June 2016, url
291 BBC, Ivory Coast's Laurent Gbagbo: from democrat to autocrat, 11 April 2011, url
292 RFI, Côte d'Ivoire: les grandes dates de l'histoire politique, 6 August 2010, url
293 Moncrieff R., Political opposition in the Ivory Coast – Problems and perspectives, in Soundings, issue 10: Windrush Echoes,
Autumn 1998, url p.2.
294 FPI, Historique, n.d., url
295 RFI Afrique, Portrait de Laurent Gbagbo, 26 November 2010, url
296 FPI, Historique, n.d., url
297 Peace Insight, Ivory Coast: Key people and Parties, n.d., url
298 Abidjan.net, Politique-Laurent Koudou Gbagbo-Biographie, n.d., urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 41

conceded that the 2000 election was affected by the origin-based exclusion of Ouattara and by theabsence of plausible rivals. 299
Until 2011, the party was a member of Socialist International but after the post-electoral crisis thisorganisation expelled the FPI. 300
Since 2001, FPI adopted a 30 % quota for women for all levels of its structure and for its candidates’
lists. 301
The governing bodies of the party are la Présidence [the Presidency], le Secrétariat Général [General
Secretary], le Congrès, le Comité Central [Central Committee] and la Convention [the Convention]. The
president of the party is elected by the federal assemblies, appointed by the congress and he can be
re-elected. Territorially the party is organised in sections and the local structures are represented by
the comités de base [local committees]. 302
Membership can be acquired after the local structure of the party has accepted the request. Members
aged between 16 and 30 belong to the Jeunesse du Front Populaire Ivoirien [FPI youth league] (JFPI).
The members of the FPI are not allowed to attend meetings of other parties or arrange events withother parties or organisations without the permission of the central bureau of the party. 303
The FPI’s press organ is the daily newspaper Notre Voie. 304
Since 2011, the FPI, the major opposition party 305, is split into two factions 306: Gbagbo et nous (Gbagbo
and us) and Gbagbo ou rien - - [Gbagbo or nothing] (GOR). The former is led by Pascal Affi N’Guessan,
the President of the Party, and the latter faction, the dissident (or hardliner) FPI, was led by
Aboudramane Sangaré, former minister of foreign affairs, until his death on 3 November 2018. 307
After Sanagre’s death, Laurent Gbagbo regained control of his branch of FPI. 308 The N’Guessan’s FPI is
the pillar of the 2014 opposition coalition Alliance des forces démocratiques [Alliance of Democratic
Forces] (AFD), while the dissident faction belongs to the 2017 coalition Ensemble pour la démocratie
et la souveraineté [Together for democracy and sovereignty] (EDS). 309
N’Guessan, Prime minister under Gbagbo’s presidency from 2000 until 2003 310, stands for a direct
involvement into the political life of Côte d’Ivoire and for a regular participation to the electoral
processes, even though he boycotted the previous presidential elections and the constitutionalreferendum. 311 Indeed N’Guessan argued: ‘The FPI needs members in Parliament to be a force against
the ruling coalition…’ 312

299 GOUNIN Yves, « La France en Afrique: Le combat des Anciens et des Modernes », De Boeck Supérieur, 2009 ;Le Pape,Marc, and Vidal, Claudine (eds), Côte d'Ivoire - L'année terrible 1999-2000, KARTHALA Editions, 2003, see p. 271 ;OUEDRAOGO Jean-Bernard, SALL Ebrima, “Frontieres de la citoyennete et violence politique en Côte d'Ivoire », African Books
Collective, 2008 - 217 pages (see p.48) ; Le Figaro , Gbagbo, l’homme qui voulait rester roi, 11 April 2011, url
300 Socialist International, SI Presidium addresses situation in Côte d’Ivoire, 19 March 2011, url
301 Idea, Gender Quotas Database – Côte d’Ivoire, 11 April 2018, url
302 Fpi, Statuts et Réglement Intérieure, n.d., art. 25-43, pp. 8-13, url , art. 25-43 , pp. 8-13.
303 Fpi, Statuts et Réglement Intérieure, n.d., art. 17-24, pp.7-8,, url , art. 17-24, pp.7-8.
304 Courrier international, Notre Voie, n.d.; Banks A.S., Day A.J., Muller T.C., Political Handbook of the World 1998, Palgrave
MacMillan UK, 1998, url, p. 232.
305 Ike Udogu E., Leadership and the Problem of Electoral Democracy in Africa – Case Studies and Therotical Solutions, 11November 2016, url, p. 81.
306 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2018 – Côte d’Ivoire profile, 2018, url
307 Atoo.ci, De boycott en boycott des élections, la frange Gbagbo du FPI exaspère en Côte d’Ivoire, 7 January 2018, url; RFI
Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : Aboudramane Sangaré, fidèle de Laurent gbagbo, est décédé, 3 November 2018, url
308 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : Gbagbo contre Gbagbo au FPI, 18 November 2018, url; 2CM Info, Fpi décision du président
Laurent Gbagbo, 20 November 2019, url
309 RFI, Côte d'Ivoire: l'opposition lance une nouvelle coalition, 21 April 2017, url
310 Peace Insight, Ivoiry Coast: Key People and Parties, n.d., url
311 Bloomberg, Ivory Coast Chooses Parliament as Opposition Ends Boycott, 28 December 2016, url
312 Bloomberg, Ivory Coast Chooses Parliament as Opposition Ends Boycott, 28 December 2016, url42 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTThe GOR has boycotted parliamentary and local elections since the 2010-2011 crisis and refused torecognise N’Guessan as the FPI’s leader. 313 The hardliner FPI has demanded Gbagbo’s release before
it will consider going to elections. 314 Thus many FPI’s supporters continue boycotting the elections. 315
Despite N’Guessan’s side attempts for a reconciliation of the party 316, the dissident wing of FPI, during
its last congress in August 2018, appointed Laurent Gbagbo, currently in conditional release 317, as its
leader. 318 He was elected with 97.5 % of ballots and there were 5 325 voters. 319 The National Secretary
for Communication declared to AFP: ‘We are satisfied […] The Congress allowed us to appreciate thevitality of the party and it shows that Laurent Gbagbo remains the cornerstone of our party.’ 320
Meanwhile N’Guessan was re-elected by the congress, held on 27-28 July 2018, head of the official
FPI, for a five-year term. 321
After the break between Ouattara and Bédié, formalised on 9 August 2018 by the announcement of
the withdrawal of PDCI from the unified party 322, the possibility of an alliance between N’Guessan’s
FPI and the PDCI opened up. 323.

3.2.1.7 Mouvement des Forces d'avenir [Mouvement of the Future Forces] (MFA)
The MFA is a political party founded by Anky Kobena. In 2005, MFA, alongside with RDR, PDCI andUDPCI, founded the RHDP coalition. 324 After the Appel de Daoukro in 2014, the MFA faced an internal
crisis between Kobena, who was against the appel and Anzouma Moutayé who supported it, which
led to a split of the party. 325
In an extraordinary party congress, Kobena was replaced by Moutayé as President of MFA and, in the2015 presidential election, the MFA supported Ouattara’s candidacy. 326
The MFA was affected by another crisis in 2017 when the bureau politique of the party suspended
Moutayé and appointed Ouattara Siaka as President ad interim. 327 Ouattara Siaka was elected byacclamation by the extraordinary congress on 25 March 2018. 328 Moutayé appealed to the judge inorder to obtain the annulment of the decision of the bureau politique and the election of Ouattara
Siaka. The judge of first instance stated that the appeal was not well founded. 329 However President
Alassane Ouattara and then Prime Minister Amadou Gon recognise Moutayé as President of MFA. 330
New tensions rose within the party in April 2018 when Siaka Ouattara subscribed the agreement forthe creation of the unified party RHDP. 331 Moutayé’s faction refused to join the RHDP and associated313 Reuters, Faction of Gbagbo's party calls for Ivorian election boycott, 19 August 2015, url

314 Reuters, Gbagbo's FPI picks presidential hopeful after years of boycotts, 9 August 2015, url; Freedom House, Freedom in

the World 2018 – Côte d’Ivoire profile, 2018, url
315 Bertelsmann Stiftung, Transformation Index (BTI) 2018, - Côte d’Ivoire Country Report, 2018, url
316 Afrique-sur 7, Côte d'Ivoire : FPI, enfin la paix entre Affi N'Guessan et Sangaré ?, 26 September 2017, url
317 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: Laurent Gbagbo at Charles Blé Goudé restent en detention, 18 January 2019, url ,318 Africanews.fr, Côte d'Ivoire : Laurent Gbagbo élu chef de l'aile dissidente du FPI, 5 August 2018, url
319 Le Figaro, Côte d'Ivoire : Laurent Gbagbo élu chef de l'aile dissidente de son ancien parti, 6 August 2018, url
320 APR News, Côte d'Ivoire : Laurent Gbagbo élu chef de l'aile dissidente du FPI, 4 August 2018, url
321 Africanews.fr, Côte d'Ivoire : Pascal Affi N'Guessan réélu à la tête du parti du FPI, toujours divisé, 29 July 2018, url; Afriquesur 7, Côte d’Ivoire : Affi N’Guessan revendique toute la légitimité au FPI, 13 January 2019 url
322 France24, Côte d’Ivoire, Côte d’Ivoire : entre Ouattara et Bédié, le torchon brûle… de nouveau, 10 August 2018, url
323 Afrique-sur7, Côte d’Ivoire : alliance PDCI - FPI, Bédié confirme la possibilité, 11 August 2018, url
324 Zina O. « Le caillou a-t-il été retiré du soulier de la République ? Réconciliation nationale et réformes constitutionnelles
en Côte d’Ivoire, 2017, url, pp. 25-29, 33.
325 Educarriere.ci, Côte d’Ivoire: Anzoumana Moutayé élu nouveau president du MFA, 13 April 2015, url
326 Jeune Afrique, Présidentielle en Côte d’Ivoire: 10 candidatures validés par la Cour constitutionelle, 9 September 2015, url
327 Fratmat.info, MFA: Anzoumana Mutayé suspendu de ses fonctions, 26 August 2017, url
328 Abidjan.net, Congrès extraordinaire du Mfa: Siaka Ouattara élu nouveau president par acclamation, 27 March 2018, url
329 Abidjan.net, Mfa/ Les 2 décisions de justice qui ont mis fin à la crise, 29 March 2018, url
330 Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire: Moutaye reconnu comme président du MFA, 26 April 2018, url
331 Afrique sur 7, CIV/ Parti unifié: la signature de Siaka Ouattara contestée au MFA, 20 April 2018, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 43

with the camp of Anaky Kobena. 332 In October 2018, Moutayè and Kobena participate in theextraordinary congress of PDCI with other opposition parties leaders. 333

3.2.1.8 Congrès panafricain des jeunes patriotes [Young Patriots Pan-African Congress](COJEP)
The COJEP as the Congrès panafricain des jeunes patriotes [Pan-African Congress of Young Patriots](COJEP) was founded by Charles Blé Goudé in 2011. 334 In 2015, it turned into a political party andbecame the Congrès panafricain pour la justice et l’égalité des peuples [Pan-African Congress for
Justice and People’s Equality] (COJEP). 335
On 2 March 2019, the general assembly of the COJEP was held in Yopoung. Blé Goudé, the Presidentof the party, intervened by telephone and confirmed the political support of the COJEP to former
President Laurent Gbagbo. 336

3.2.1.9 The composition of the National Assembly
The legislative election in 2016 results shaped the composition of the National Assembly as follows 337:
Party

Seats

Votes

%

RHDP

167

1 019 057

56.26

Independents

76

780 629

38.5

UDPCI

6

60 566

2.99

FPI

3

118 130

3

UPCI

3

20 806

1.03

Other parties

0

28 273

1.39

According to the new Constitution, members of the National Assembly were elected on
18 December 2016 for an exceptional four-year term 338 (normally the term is five years 339), so thatthe presidential election in 2020 and the start of the new legislature will coincide. 340

3.2.2 Senatorial election
The institution was introduced in the new Constitution in 2016 and it exercises legislative power alongwith the National Assembly. 341 According to Article 87 of the Ivorian Constitution: ‘The Senate ensures
the representation of territorial communities and of Ivorians established outside of Côte d’Ivoire.
Senators are elected, for two thirds, by indirect universal suffrage. One third of the senators is

332 L’Infodrome, Situation politique: Ouattara et Bédié se partegent des partis politique, 23 August 2018, url
333 Afrique sur 7, Les opposants de Ouattara se réunissent au congrés du parti de Bédié, url

334 AFP, « Côte d’Ivoire : Blé Goudé promet à Ouattara une opposition « non armée », Jeune Afrique, 17 July 2011, url
335 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: le movement de Blé Goudé deviant un parti politique, 17 August 2018, url

336 Ivoire Soir, Blé Goudé parle: « Je ne suis pas l’ami de Gbagbo mais son èléve, l’élève de Messi peut devenir Messi » 8

March 2019, url

337CEI, Election deputes a l’Assemblee Nationale, Scrutin du 18 Decembre 2016, Resultat National, , url

338Security Council UN, Finale progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, 31

January 2017, url, p.3.

339 Republique de Côte d’Ivoire, Loi N° 2016-886 DU 8 NOVEMBRE 2016 portant Constitution de la Republique de Côte

d’Ivoire art. 86, url
340Presidential Power, Côte d’Ivoire’s Senate Elections: The Next Move on the 2020 Elections Chessboard, 9 April 2018, url
341 Republique de Côte d’Ivoire, Loi N° 2016-886 DU 8 NOVEMBRE 2016 portant Constitution de la Republique de Côte
d’Ivoire art. 86, url44 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

appointed by the President of the Republic among Ivorians recognised for their expertise and provencompetence in the political, administrative, economic, scientific, cultural, sports, professional andsocial fields.’ 342
Senatorial elections were held on 24 March 2018. 343 The turnout was at 63.9 %. 344 The opposition
boycotted the election mainly due to its lack of confidence in the Commission électorale indépendante(CEI). Moreover, the Senate’s voters were the local and regional councillors elected in the 2013
boycotted elections. 345 The RHDP coalition won 50 seats while 16 independent candidates were
elected. 346 Jeannot Ahoussou-Kouadio (PDCI) was appointed President of the Senate. 347
President Ouattara, according to the Constitution, has to appoint 33 senators (of the 99). However,
due to the rivalries between RDR and PDCI, Ouattara refused to nominate the senators andtransferred the Senate’s powers to the National Assembly. 348
Despite the provisions included in the Constitution 349, regarding gender equality and the promotionof women’s political rights, only 8 women were elected. 350
The POECI judged the election as fair and satisfying. 351 The security situation of the elections did notraise concerns. 352 However, the POECI along with the opposition353, called for a reform of the CEI inorder to limit the governmental influence on it. 354

3.2.3 National reconciliation
The post-electoral crisis was triggered by Gbagbo's refusal to cede power to Ouattara, after the 2010
presidential elections. 355 In 5 months (December 2010 – April 2011) 356, the conflict resulted in morethan 3 000 people killed, more than 150 women raped (see also Section 5.3.1 on sexual violence),
approximately one million internally displaced people (IDPs) and 200 000 Ivorian refugees in theneighbouring countries. 357 Armed forces from both Gbagbo's and Ouattara's side attacked civilians
because of their political, ethnical and religious affiliations. 358

342 Republique de Côte d’Ivoire, Loi N° 2016-886 DU 8 NOVEMBRE 2016 portant Constitution de la Republique de Côte

d’Ivoire art. 87 url
343 Portail officiel du gouvernement de Côte d'Ivoire, Politique nationale: les elections senatoriales en Côte d’Ivoire, le 24Mars, url
344Jeune Afrique, Sénatoriales en Côte d’Ivoire : les enseignements de la percée des « indépendants », 25 March 2018, url
345 Presidential Power, Côte d’Ivoire’s Senate Elections: The Next Move on the 2020 Elections Chessboard, 9 April 2018, url
346 CEI, Repartition de elus par Groupement/parti politique et sexe, scrutiny du 24 mars 2018, url
347 Presidential Power, Côte d’Ivoire’s Senate Elections: The Next Move on the 2020 Elections Chessboard, 9 April 2018, url
348 Connection Ivoirienne, Côte d’Ivoire: Le sénat victim de la guerre politique RDR/PDCI (par Safiatou Ouattara), 9 November
2019, url
349 Republique de Côte d’Ivoire, Loi N° 2016-886 DU 8 NOVEMBRE 2016 portant Constitution de la Republique de Côte
d’Ivoire – Preamble, art. 36-37, url
350 APR News, Côte d'Ivoire: 8 femmes et 58 hommes ont été élus lors des élections sénatoriales , n.d.; Inter-Parliamentary
Union, Côte d’Ivoire Assemblé Nationale (National Assembly), 15 June 2018, url
351 All Africa, Côte d'Ivoire: Élections sénatoriales 2018 - La Poeci juge le scrutin satisfaisant, 26 March 2018, url
352 Apa news, Sénatoriales ivoriennes: 63,92% de taux de participation à la mi-journée, 24 March 2018, url
353 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : la Commission électorale au centre des critiques à la veille des sénatoriales, 19 March 2018,url
354 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : « Il faut un nouveau consensus » sur la Commission électorale indépendante, 5 March 2018,url
355 Reuters, Gbagbo faces charges of crimes against humanity: ICC, 30 November 2011, url
356 BBC, Ivory Coast Profile – Timeline, 10 January 2018, url
357 HRW, Côte d’Ivoire’s Forgotten Victims, 23 February 2018, url , ; UNHCR Global Report 2011, Côte d’Ivoire, n.d., url, p.
115; Ocha, Côte d’Ivoire – Humanitarian crisis . Situation report n. 21, p.1, 15 April 2011, url; The Carter Center, International
Election Observation Mission to Côte d’Ivoire – Final Report – 2010 Presidential Elections and 2011 Legislative Elections, n.d.,url p.8358 Human Rights Watch, Côte d'Ivoire: Justice for 2010-11 Crimes Stagnates, 8 May 2018, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 45

After the defeat and arrest of Gbagbo, a lot of FPI members went into exile and Gbagbo's assets' werefrozen. 359 Furthermore, the UN Council imposed sanctions against Gbagbo and his inner circle. 360
Reconciliation after the 2010-2011 post-electoral crisis is still a concern in Côte d’Ivoire. 361 On
September 2011, Ouattara set up the Commission Dialogue, Vérité et Réconciliation [Dialogue, Truth
and Reconciliation Commission] (CDVR). 362 The Commission, chaired by former Prime Minister Charles
Konan Banny, ended its work in 2014 and issued a final report with its conclusions and proposals, inparticular: implementation of the 1998 rural land tenure law, improvement of the situation of women,sensitisation of the population on nationality and citizenship, creation of a modern and well-organised
army, introduction of a ‘national day of remembrance and forgiveness’ and implementation of ageneral amnesty. 363
However, according to the Brussels-based research group GRIP (Group for Research and Information
on Peace and Security), the Commission failed in its mission to promote reconciliation and social
cohesion. 364 This was mainly due to its lack of independence from the presidency and ill-defined
powers. 365 The final report of 2014 was published by the government only in 2016 366, but, according
to Ivorian media, some of its contents have reportedly been manipulated. 367 Some of its originalfragments were disclosed by Ivorian news sources in 2018. 368
In 2015, an Ivorian court sentenced Gbagbo's wife, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, to 20 years of
imprisonment for undermining state security, disturbing public order and organising armed groups. 369
On 24 March 2015, Ouattara created the Commission Nationale pour la Réconciliation etl’Indemnisation des Victimes [National Commission for the Reconciliation and Indemnification ofVictims] (CONARIV) and appointed bishop Paul Siméon Ahouanan as chairman. 370 The new body wascreated in order to replace the CDVR and to submit a single list of victims (amounting to 316 954) andthe proposal of financial compensation for the victims to President Ouattara. 371 On 2 May 2018, theMinister of Solidarity, Mariatou Koné declared that CFA 3.8 billion had been distributed to 4 500
victims of the crisis who were entitled to compensation. 372
The President of the CONARIV encouraged Ouattara to keep on with the dialogue with the opposition
and the process of reconciliation, mainly by providing provisional release of detainees and by granting
presidential pardon or amnesty. Furthermore, he recommended the resolution of pending processes

359 BBC News, Millions in Laurent Gbagbo assets frozen in Switzerland, 5 May 2011, url
360 Reuters, U.N. Council slaps sanctions on Ivory Coast's Gbagbo, 30 March 2011, url
361 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: la réconciliation en souffrance, 30 May 2018, url

362 Le Monde, Ouattara installe une commission de réconciliation en Côte d’Ivoire, 28 September 2011, url , .

363 Côte d'Ivoire, CDVR, Résumé de rapport finale, October 2016, url, pp. 10-21; IHEJ (Institut des Hautes Etudes sur la Justice),

La Commission Dialogue Vérité et Réconciliation ivoirienne: une belle coquille vide?, 5 October 2015, url
364 GRIP, Commission for Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation in Côte d'Ivoire: the reconciliation never happened, 20 June
2015, url.
365 Human Rights Watch, World Report 2012 – Côte d'Ivoire – Events of 2011, n.d., url; Piccolino G., Peacebuilding andstatebuilding in post-2011 Côte d’Ivoire : A victor’s peace ?, July 2018 url
366 Côte d’Ivoire, Commission dialogue, verite et reconciliation, rapport final, December 2014, url
367 Afrique sur 7, Côte d'Ivoire : CDVR, le rapport authentique de Banny (enfin) dévoilé, 5 June 2018, url
368 Ivoire Soir, Exclusif/Côte d’Ivoire reconciliation: Voici le rapport cache de Banny (1ère partie), 2 June 2018, url; Ivoire Soir,
Rapport caché de Banny (fin) : Ces recommandations de la CDVR que Ouattara a refusé d’appliquer, 8 June 2018, url; Afriquesur 7, Côte d'Ivoire : CDVR, le rapport authentique de Banny (enfin) dévoilé, 5 June 2018, url; Koaci.com, Côte d'Ivoire: Bannyinsiste, «les résultats de la CDVR doivent être mis à la disposition des ivoiriens», 20 August 2018, url; L’Infodrome,
Réconciliation nationale: Banny réclame la publication du travail de la Cdvr, 18 August 2018, url
369 BBC, Ivory Coast’s former first lady Simone Gbagbo jailed, 10 March 2015, url
370 Republique de Côte d'Ivoire, Communique de la Presidence de la Republique, 24 March 2015, url
371 Koaci.com, Côte d’Ivoire: Indemnisation des victims des crises, la liste consolidée de la CONARIV disponible, 316954
dossiers retenus sur 874056, 19 April 2016, url
372 Portail Officiel du Gouvernment de Côte d’Ivoire, Indemnisation des victims des crises: 3.8 milliards de FCFA distributes
globalement aux ayanta droit, 3 May 2018, url.

46 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

for persons detained in connection with the post-elections crisis and major efforts to encourage thereturn of Ivorians in exile. 373
In order to prosecute the authors of the atrocities during the crisis, President Ouattara created theCommission nationale d'enquête [National Commission of Inquiry] (CNE) 374 and the Cellule spécialed'enquête et d'instruction [Special Inquiry and Instruction cell] (CSEI). 375 The latter has charged morethan 150 people, among Gbagbo and Ouattara forces, for so-called blood crimes, but very few
proceedings have reached the trial phase. 376

3.2.4 Situation of Gbagbo supporters
Political prisoners of the post-electoral crisis
The main issue concerning the reconciliation is linked to the political prisoners and the concept of‘victor’s justice’. 377 The perception of victor’s justice is highlighted by the prosecution of Gbagbo’s
supporters, accused of crimes against the state, by the one-side prosecution of ICC, and on the other
hand the substantial impunity of pro-Ouattara forces. 378 Indeed the investigation of 20 pro-Ouattara
soldiers, accused of atrocities, did not lead to an actual incrimination, even though they were formallycharged by the CSEI. 379
On 31 December 2015, Ouattara announced a presidential pardon to release or reduce the sentencesof 3 100 detainees, including political personalities from the FPI, even though he rejected thedefinition of ‘political prisoners’. 380
There is no concordance on the figures of political prisoners in detention. The list issued in 2014 by
the Association des Femmes et Familles des Détenus d'Opinion de Côte d'Ivoire [Political Prisoners’
Wives and Families Association] (AFFDO-CI) to the Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme deCôte d'Ivoire [Ivorian Human Right Commission] (CNDHCI) stated that there were more than 400. 381
In January 2016, there were reportedly 311 political prisoners, most of them without conviction. On
15 January 2016, 85 of them received pardon. 382 In March 2016, an FPI report noted that 241 militantsof the FPI (192 civilians and 49 militaries) were still in prison. 383

373 UN Security Council, Special Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations operation in Côte d’Ivoire, 31 March

2016, url, p.1
374 Portail Officiel du Gouvernment de Côte d’Ivoire, Commission Nationale d’Enquete: la President annonce le lancement
des activies, 11 November 2018, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d'Ivoire: Ouattara met en place une Commission nationaled'enquete, 16 June 2011, url
375 FIDH, Côte d’Ivoire / crise post-électorale: la Cellule speciale d’enquête reconduite, 14 January 2018, url
376 AI, Côte d’Ivoire: No Amnesty for Serious Crimes of 2010-11 Crisis, 7 August 2018, url; International Center for Transitional
Justice, Disappointed Hope, Judicial Handling of Post-Election Violence in Côte d’Ivoire, April 2016, url
377 UN Security Council, Thirty-sixth progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte
d’Ivoire, 7 May 2015, url; Freedom House, Freedom in the World – Côte d’Ivoire 2015, , url; Piccolino G., Peacebuilding andstatebuilding in post-2011 Côte d’Ivoire : A victor’s peace ? July 2018, url
378 Freedom House, Freedom in the World – Côte d’Ivoire 2015, url; Freedom House, Freedom in the World – Côte d’Ivoire,
2016, url , ; Liberation, A Duékoué, l’impunité des pro-Ouattara, 16 July 2014, url; World Politics Review, Gbagbo’s Trial Is
The Latest Sign of Victor’s Justice in Côte d’Ivoire, 4 May 2016, url
379 ISS, Can Gbagbo’s ICC trial quench Côte d’Ivoire’s thirst for justice?, 9 March 2016, url
380 Fondation Hirondelle, Côte d’Ivoire’s Prisoners of the New Regime, 13 April 2016 url
381 Le Débat Ivoirien, Côte d’Ivoire: La Mort d’un Détenu politique dans la Parison d’Abidjan Annonce-T-Elle le Début d’un
Processus? 6 December 2015, url
382 Le Monde, Qui sont les 300 prisonniers politiques de Côte d’Ivoire?, 27 January 2016, url; CORI (Country of Origin
Researche and Information), Côte d’Ivoire Issue: The treatment of Ivorian Popular Front (FPI)/ Gbagbo supporters in Côte
d’Ivoire by both state and no-state actors, incidente of arrest and/or violence against FPI/Gbagbo supporters in Côte d’Ivoire;the willingness and ability of the State to protect FPI/Gbagbo supporters in Côte d’Ivoire , 17 August 2016, url pp.12-13.
383 FPI, RAPPORT N° 2-2016: Detenus Politiques en Côte d’Ivoire, 30 March 2016, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 47

Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that 200 Gbagbo-supporters, arrested in 2011, were still in prison
in 2017 awaiting trial. 384 In April 2018, the AFFDO-CI declared that, 7 years after the end of the postelectoral crisis, 120 out of 300 people were convicted while 120 were in pre-trial detention 385,
although the maximum term of pre-trial detention in Côte d’Ivoire is 18 months. 386
The condition of detention of Gbagbo-supporters was defined as inhuman by the President of the
Association des femmes et familles de détenus d’opinion (AFFDO-CI), Désirée Douati, who pointed outthat political prisoners are deprived of the right to medical assistance. 387 In June 2017, two detainees
died in the Maison d’arrêt et de correction d’Abidjan (MACA). 388

Government response to opposition activities
Although both the 2000 and 2016 Ivorian Constitutions guarantee freedom of association, assemblyand peaceful demonstration 389, freedom of expression of thought and freedom of expression 390, thegovernment intervened several times in order to limit the protest of the opposition. 391
In 2015, 19 meetings of opposition parties, trade unions and students associations were banned ordispersed. 392
The number of arrests of opponents increased in the months before the presidential election in
2015. 393 In January 2015, 32 Gbagbo-supporters were arrested for the attack at the Grabo militarycheck point, in which two soldiers were killed. 394 Relatives of the detainees stated that their arrest
was due to their political support to the former regime. 395 One of the arrested people, Kouya Gnepa
Eric, was tortured and died in prison. 396
On the eve of the presidential election about 50 people were arrested. 397 For instance, on
13 September 2015, Samba David, leader of the opposition platform Coalition des indignés, wasarrested after the protests erupted against the validation of the candidacy of Ouattara and wascharged with disruption of public order. 398 On 2 October 2015, he was convicted to six months
imprisonment. 399 After serving the punishment he was kept in prison without conviction, charged withendangering the State, unauthorised unarmed march and wilful destruction of objects. 400 He wasreleased on July 2018 due to his health condition after 34 months in prison. 401

384 HRW, World Report 2017, Côte d’Ivoire, n.d. url; Amnesty International, Côte d’Ivoire, n.d., url
385 RFI, Côte d'Ivoire: des familles de détenus d'opinion lancent un cri d'alarme, 16 April 2018, url

386 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi n° 60-366 du 14 Novembre 1960 portant Code de Procedure Penale, art. 138, url p. 47.
387 Le Figaro, Côte d’Ivoire: décès d’un détenu pro-Gbagbo, 29 June 2017, url

388 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: décés à la Maca d’un deuxième détenu pro-Gbagbo en un mois, 30 June 2017, url

389 Côte d’Ivoire Loi N° 2000-513 du 1er Aout 2000 Portant Constitution de la Côte d'Ivoire, art. 11, url p.3; Côte d’Ivoire, Loi

N° 2016-886 DU 8 NOVEMBRE 2016 portant Constitution de la Republique de Côte d’Ivoire 2016 art. 20, url p.3.
390 Côte d’Ivoire Loi N° 2000-513 Du 1er Aout 2000 Portant Constitution de la Côte d’Ivoire, artt. 9-10, url, p.3; Côte d’Ivoire,
Loi N° 2016-886 DU 8 NOVEMBRE 2016 portant Constitution de la Republique de Côte d’Ivoire 2016 art. 19, url p.3.
391 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 – Côte d’Ivoire, 23 August 2016, url
392 UN Security Council, Thirty-seventh progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte
d’Ivoire, 8 December 2015, url
393, Wilane Paté, Côte d’Ivoire’sd’Ivoire’sd’Ivoire’s Prisoners of the New Regime, JusticeInfo.Net, 13 April 2016, url
394 Le Monde, Qui sont les 300 prisonniers politiques de Côte d’Ivoire?, 28 January 2016, url; Reuters, Gunmen kill two
soldiers in attack on Ivory Coast border town, 10 January 2015, url
395 Le Monde, Qui sont les 300 prisonniers politiques de Côte d’Ivoire?, 28 January 2016, url
396 L’Infodrome, Maca: Un pro-Gbagbo est mort, 7 December 2015, url
397 La Croix, Côte d’Ivoire, arrestations dans l’opposition avant la présidentielle, 22 October 2015, url ,398 Ivoire Business, Côte d’Ivoire : arrestation de Samba David, membre du directoire de la CNC, 14 September 2015, url
399 Abidjan.net, Justice – 16 mois après, Samba David toujoursà la MACA, reproches et explications dévoilés, 28 February
2017, url
400 The world News, Après 3 ans de détention : Samba David en liberté provisoire, 25 July 2018, url
401 L’Infodrome, Justice : Samba David libéré après 3 ans de détention, 25 July 2018, url ; PCF, En Côte d’Ivoire Samba David
enfin libéré, 27 July 2018, url

48 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTOn 26 May 2016, three opposition politicians were sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment for an
unauthorised demonstration. 402
On 15 July 2016, three FPI militants, Prospère Djandou, Jean Léopold Messihi and Ange Patrick
Djoman Gbata, were arrested in Yopougon for collecting signatures for Gbagbo’s release. They werecharged with public order offences. 403 Amnesty International considered the arrest and the trial,
which began on 25 July 2016, illegal and a violation of the rights included both in the IvorianConstitution and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). 404 The three FPI
activists were released two weeks after the arrest. 405
The interventions of the government on the freedom of association, organisation, assembly andexpression, increased in particular during the referendum campaign in 2016. 406
In October 2016, a march of the opposition was repressed by the police. 407 The leaders of the
opposition, including Sangaré, were arrested with around 20 other opposition supporters. 408
On 17 March 2018, a meeting of the opposition was dispersed by the police in the west of Abidjan.
The participants, supporters of the EDS coalition, claimed for the reform of the CEI. 409
On 22 March 2018, two days before the senatorial elections, another meeting of the opposition was
repressed in Abidjan, after clashes between protesters belonging to the FPI and parties of the EDS
coalition and the police. 410 Some participants were arrested and released after two weeks ofimprisonment, but Jean Gervais Tchéidé, the President of the organisational committee of themeeting and spokesman of EDS, remained in detention. 411 His detention was due to an arrest warrant
issued in March 2013 in which he was accused of genocide, looting, financing of armed groups, rapeand endangering state security. 412
The Fédération estudiantine et scolaire de Côte d’Ivoire [Students’ Union of Côte d’Ivoire] (FESCI), is aviolent and powerful student’s union, close to former President Gbagbo and reportedly responsible
for a number of violent attacks, such as against political opponents. 413 Sources report that several
strikes and meetings of the organisation were repressed and dispersed, and militants were arrested.
The FESCI is involved in numerous violent confrontations with the police. 414

402 HRW, World Report 2018 Côte d’Ivoire – Events of 2017, url

403 L’Infodrome, Pétition pour la libération de Laurent Gbagbo: Amnesty international exige la libération des 3 pro-Gbagboarrêtés 28 July 2016, url; Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire: l’atteinte à la liberté d’expression de retour, 22 July 2018, url
404 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: Amnesty International dénonce la détention de pro-Gbagbo, 25 July 2018, url; AI, Côte d’Ivoire. Les
autorités doivent abandonner les poursuites contre trois militants de l’opposition, 24 July 2016, url
405 AI, Report 2016/17 – Côte d’Ivoire – Freedoms of association and assembly, 22 February 2017, url
406 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2017, Côte d’Ivoire, 12 July 2017, url; HRW, World Report 2017, Events of 2016,
url
407 RFI, Constitution ivoirienne: arrestations d’opposants lors d’une manifestation, 20 October 2016, url
408 Reuters, Ivory Coast police crack down on marche against new constitution, 20 October 2016, url
409 APA News, Côte d’Ivoire: un meeting de l’opposition disperse par la police à l’Ouest d’Abidjan, 17 March 2018, url
410 RFI, Côte d'Ivoire: une manifestation de l'opposition dispersée à Abidjan, 22 March 2018, url
411 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : pourquoi Jean Gervais Tchéidé a été maintenu en detention, 9 April 2018, url
412 APR, Côte d’Ivoire : La plateforme Eds dénonce la détention de Tchéidé Jean Gervais , 10 April 2018, url
413 HRW, World Report 2008 – Côte d’Ivoire, url; Diarassouba I., Violence Syndicale Estudiantine Dans Les Universités
Publiques De Côte d’Ivoire: Perceptions et Enjeux, March 2017, url; Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire: la violence de la Fesci filmée
par des cameras cachées, 20 July 2016, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire – Fulgence Assi: “La Fesci est un esprit, on ne peutni le supprimer ni le dissoudre”, 3 April 2015, url
414 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: Aprés l’interpellation de Fulgence Assi de la Fesci, la tension monte entre police et étudiants,
14 April 2016, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: nouvelles violences à l’université Houphouet de Cocody à Abidjan, 19 July
2016, url; Le Monde, Violents affrontements entre étudiants et policiers à l’université d’Abidjan, 19 July 2018, url; Jeune
Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: des poursuites engages contre un leader étudiant après des affrontements à Abidjan, 14 September
2017, url; AIP, Côte d’Ivoire/ La FESCI annonce des arrestations d’étudiants grévistes, 29 May 2018, url; APA News, La police
disperse une manifestation d’étudiants à Abidjan, 11 September 2018, url; APR, Côte d’Ivoire: Etudiants et policierss’affrontent, 11 September 2018, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 49

However according to HRW, the arbitrary arrest’s rate decreased from 2015 to 2017 but investigations
against the authors of the abuses were rare. 415
The scope of the political prisoners issue also involved the freedom of press. In 2017, the newspapers
La Voie Originale and LG Infos (close to FPI – GOR), were suspended. 416 These newspapers had
affirmed the existence of political prisoners still detained in Côte d’Ivoire, in glaring contradiction tothe official position of the Ivorian government (President Ouattara had stated previously that no one
was detained for his political opinion). Hence the suspension of the cited newspapers by the Conseil
National de la Presse [National Press Council]. 417
Michel Gbagbo, son of former President Laurent Gbagbo, and Laurent Despas, Director of theinformation site Koaci.com, were convicted for divulgation of fake news regarding political prisoners:
the former has been sentenced to 6 months imprisonment and to the payment of CFA 10 million, thelatter to the payment of CFA 500 000. 418

The 2018 amnesty
In order to improve the reconciliation process, President Ouattara, on Monday 6 August 2018, signed
an Amnesty Ordinance for Simone Ehivet Gbagbo and another 800 Ivorian citizens. 419 The citizens had
been prosecuted or condemned for crimes related to the post-electoral crisis, and included those wholive in exile or had already been released provisionally. 420 The latter, according to Ouattara, concerned
about 500 people. 421
On 8 August 2018, the first political prisoners were released based on the amnesty, among whomwere two important figures of the former Gbagbo regime: Assoa Adou, former Minister ofConstruction and Moïse Lida Kouassi, former Defence Minister., Jean Gervais Tchéidé, spokesman of
the EDS, was also among those released. 422
Ouattara’s ordinance of amnesty was criticised by human rights organisations. HRW, Amnesty
International, LIDHO and eight more NGOs 423 issued a statement in which they underlined that Ivorianjudges: ‘… have indicted far more than 60 people for crimes against humanity and war crimes […]including high-level military and political leaders from both sides of the conflict. It is now unclear who
among these indictees will ultimately face justice.’ 424
Ouattara expressly declared that the amnesty will not apply to 60 military officials and members ofarmed groups who committed international crimes. 425

415 HRW, World Report – Côte d’Ivoire 2018, url

416 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: deux journaux d’opposition suspendus, 15 December 2017, url

417 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: deux journaux d’opposition suspendus, 15 December 2017, url ; AI, Côte d’Ivoire : a fragile

human rights situation, October 2018, url , p. 14.
418 VOA Afrique, Michel Gbagbo condamné à 6 mois de prison pour “fausses nouvelles” en Côte d’Ivoire, 27 January 2018,
url
419 Guardian (the), Ivory Coast president pardons 800 people including ex-first lady, 7 August 2018, url
420 Bloomberg, Update1-Ivory Coast’s Ouattara grants amnesty to wife of ex-leader Gbagbo, 7 August 2018, url
421 France24, Ivory Coast announces amnesty for former first lady Simone Gbagbo, 8 August 2018, url
422 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: un mois après l’amnistie, les exiles hésitent toujours à rentrer, 13 September 2018, url; All
Africa, Côte d’Ivoire: Simone Gbagbo Gets Amnesty With Hundreds of Others, 7 August 2018, url
423 The signatories of the statement are: Amnesty International, Ligue Ivoirienne des droits de l’Homme (LIDHO), Mouvement
ivoirien des droits humains (MIDH), Action pour la protection des droits humains en Côte d’Ivoire (APDH), Réseau acteurs
ivoiriens des droits humains (RAIDH), Coalition ivoirienne des défenseurs des droits humains (CIDDH), Club Union Africaine,
Forum de la société civile ouest-africain Côte d’Ivoire (FOSCAO-CI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Fédération internationaldes droit de l’Homme (FIDH).
424 AI, Côte d’Ivoire: No Amnesty for Serious Crimes of 2010-11 Crisis, 7 August 2018, url
425 ICTJ, President Ouattara’s Amnesty: Promoting Political Reconciliation to the Detriment of Victim’s Rights andAccountability, 19 September 2018, url50 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTThe ordinance of amnesty was welcomed by the majority of Ivorians and several political figures
recognised it as an important step toward national reconciliation. 426
Both parts of the FPI expressed their satisfaction after this announcement of the release of prisoners
and wished that it will open the way to a wider reconciliation including the return from the ICC of
Gbagbo and Blé Goudé. 427

Return of refugees and the situation Gbagbo allies in exile
According to UNHCR, as of February 2019, the majority of Ivorian refugees are located in Liberia(9 097), Ghana (6 565) Guinea (3 597) and Togo (1 880). 428
In general, an increase of voluntary returns has been registered. According to the UNHCR, thanks to
the implemented measures aimed at encouraging the voluntary return of Ivorian refugees, 162
returns from Ghana and 333 from Guinea were registered in the first semester of 2018, while in 2017
the figures were significantly lower. 429 The returnees from Liberia were stopped in 2014 due to the
Ebola outbreak and returns were resumed in 2015. 430
The ordinance of amnesty of August 2018 involves those Ivorians that took the way of exile after the
defeat and the arrest of former President Gbagbo. After the proclamation of amnesty, several persons
exiled in Ghana have returned to Côte d'Ivoire, such as the daughters of Gbagbo and some people
close to Blé Goudé. 431
The Congrès panafricain pour la justice et l’égalité des peuples [Pan-African Congress for Justice andPeople’s Equality] (COJEP), founded by Charles Blé Goudé and turned into a political party in 2015 432,
stated that in order to grant a secure return of exiled pro-Gbagbo supporters, the ordinance ofamnesty should be converted into an amnesty law. 433
A month after the ordinance of amnesty in August 2018, 160 Ivorian refugees from Ghana and Togo
had returned to Côte d'Ivoire. 434
At the same time, the return of people living in exile is a key for the national reconciliation and one of
the most important concerns for President Ouattara. 435
The most influential members of Gbagbo’s former government and high-ranked FPI members went
into exile in Ghana. 436 Between 2012 and 2016, the government of Ghana granted the extradition of
pro-Gbagbo figures such as Charles Blé Goudé and lower profile Gbagbo exiled supporters. Since theelection of the new President of Ghana in December 2016, the position of the Accra government
concerning the extraditions has changed and these ‘forced returns’ have stopped. 437

426 Atoo.ci, Unanime reconnaissance de la valeur de l’amnistie de Simone Gbagbo malgré quelques réserves, 8 August 2019,url

427 FPI, Déclaration du FPI, suite à la libération des prisonniers politiques, n.d., url; Ivoirebusiness.net, Côte d’Ivoire:

Déclaration de EDS, relative a l’ordonnance d’amnistie générale, 12 August 2018, url
428 UNHCR, Operational Portal Refugee Situations, Côte d’Ivoire, Voluntary Return of Ivorian Refugees, 31 January – 28
February 2018, url
429 UNHCR, Engagé, Bulletin semestriel du HCR Côte d’Ivoire, August 2018, url
430 UNHCR, Ivorian returns resume from Liberia after Ebola outbreaks, 18 December 2015, url
431 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : un mois après l’amnistie, les exilés hésitent toujours à rentrer, 13 September 2018, url,
432 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: le mouvement de Blé Goudé déviant un parti politique, 17 August 2018, url
433 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: les exiles politiques réticents à revenir malgré l’amnistie, 28 August 2018, url
434 Fraternité Matin, Après l’ordonnance d’amnistie: 160 exilés Ivoiriens sont rentrés du Ghana et du Togo, 5 September
2018, url
435Le Monde, En Côte d’Ivoire, le retour symbolique de quatre réfugiés pro-Gbagbo, 1 July 2016, url
436 Arndt C., et al. Growth and Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2016, url, p. 336.
437 IFRI, Tensions entre le Ghana et la Côte d’Ivoire, Opposants ivoiriens à Accra et enjeux pétroliers à la frontière maritime,
January 2018, url; BBC, Charles Ble Goude: Ghana extradites Ivory Coast Gbagbo ally, 18 January 2013, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 51

There had been a few remarkable voluntary returns of Gbagbo-allies from Ghana in the past years,
such as those of Voho Sahi, former minister of Culture, Anne Gnahouret, former ambassador to
Angola, Alain Dogou, former Minister of Defence, in 2014. 438 On 30 June 2016, four Gbagbo’s
collaborators, Kadet Bertin, former Ministry of Defence, Watchard Kedjebo, a militia leader, Kacou
Brou, one of the leaders of the FESCI and Franck Yaon, a Gbagbo bodyguard, voluntarily returned from
Ghana. 439
The government issued many warrants of arrests against figures close to former President Gbagbo.
Examples of such cases are Justin Katina, former Minister of Budget, after being sentenced to 20 yearsof imprisonment alongside Laurent Gbagbo, former Prime minister Aké N’Gbo, and Désiré Dallo,
former Minister of Economy, on 18 January 2018 440; Hubert Oulaye who was sentenced to 20 years
imprisonment 441, Assoa Adou who was sentenced in 2017 to 4 years imprisonment 442 and the bench
warrants and the attempted arrest of Lia Bi Douayoua, former Minister of Communication. 443
In January 2018, the President of the Coordination des Ivoiriens exilés au Ghana, Emile Guiriéoulou,
former Gbagbo’s Minister of the Interior, declared that a new audit of the 2010 elections was thepreliminary and basic condition for the return of the pro-Gbagbo exiled, and he underlined theconcerns regarding the risk of government reprisal against them. 444
On 19 July 2018, an Ivorian governmental delegation led by Dieket Minata, director of the Direction
de l’Aide et de l’Assistance aux Réfugiés et Apatrides of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire,met Emile Guiriéoulou in Accra. 445 During the talks, enshrined in the three-party talks amongst
UNHCR, Ivorian Government and Ghanaian government, Emile Guiriéoulou underlined that without atrue reconciliation there would not be return. He renewed his worries about the reliability of theassurances given by the Ivorian government. 446
On 15 January 2019, the International Criminal Court (ICC) acquitted Laurent Gbagbo and his former
minister for Youth Charles Blé Goudé from all charges of crime against humanity, including murder,
rape and other inhumane acts or - in alternative - attempted murder, and persecution. Currently they
are in conditional release. 447 On 31 January 2019, Emile Guiriéoulou and other 50 Ivorian people livingin exile returned in Cote d’Ivoire. Their voluntary return was arranged by the Ivorian and Ghanaian
authorities along with UNHCR. 448

438 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire – FPI: paroles d’anciens exiles, 15 May 2014, url

439 Le Monde, En Côte d’Ivoire, le retour symbolique de quatre réfugiés pro-Gbagbo, 1 July 2016, url; Reuters, Aides to ousted

Ivorian leader return home after five-year exile, 2 July 2016, url
440 APR, Côte d'Ivoire: Le sort d'Aké N’Gbo et Désiré Dallo connu le 18 janvier , 27 December 2017, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte
d’Ivoire : Justin Koné Katinan visé par un nouveau mandat d’arrêt international, 18 May 2018, url; RFI, Côte d'Ivoire: un 3emandat d'arrêt international pour de Justin Kone Katinan, 19 May 2018, url ; L’Infodrome, Condamnation à 20 ans de prison,mandat d'arrêt, Koné Katinan : « Nous ne marchandons, ni nos principes, ni nos convictions », 21 January 2018, url
441 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: vingt ans de prison pour Hubert Oulaye, ex-ministre de Gbagbo, 27 December 2017, url
442 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: l’ex-ministre Assoa Adou condamné à quatre ans d’emprisonnement, 19 July 2017, url
443 Le débat Ivoirien, Abidjan: Lia Bi Douayoua repend l’exil craignant une arrestation injustifiée; le pouvoir veut-il laréconciliation?, 7 March 2016, url; Ivoire Business, Côte d'Ivoire/Scandale: Lia Bi Douayoua échappe à une arrestation, 7
March 2016, url; Ivoire Business, Scandale/ Lia Bi DOUAYOUA depuis son exil : «Plus d’une centaine d’exilés sont morts au
Ghana», 30 August 2017, url
444 APR, Côte d’Ivoire: Les exiles posent des conditions pour leur retour, 4 January 2018, url
445 AfricaNews, GHANA: Le ministre Emile Guirieoulou Crache ses verites a une délégation du régime Ouattara venue
négocier le retour volontaire des réfugiés ivoiriens, 19 July 2018, url; Koaci.com, Côte d'Ivoire: Des émissaires dugouvernement rencontrent des pro-Gbagbo en exil, les vérités de Guirieoulou à la delegation, 19 July 2018, url,
446 APR, Ghana: « Le gouvernement ivoirien ne fait rien pour favoriser la réconciliation», Emile Guiriéoulou, 19 July 2018, url
447ICC, ICC Trial Chamber acquits Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé from all charges, 15 January 2019, url; Jeune Afrique,Côte d’Ivoire: Laurent Gbagbo at Charles Blé Goudé restent en detention, 18 January 2019, url
448 All Africa, Ghana : Rentré du Ghana/Emile Guiriéoulou – « Nous n’avons plus besoin de rester en exil », 31 January 2019,
url

52 —

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTThe scope of the issue of Gbagbo allies in exile has affected the national security situation, according
to HRW. 449 Several cross-border raids, both through the Liberian and Ghanaian borders, werereported since the end of post electoral crisis. 450 In 2017, the Ivorian Ministry of Interior attributed to
35 Gbagbo’s allies (including youth leader Daman Pickass and Gbagbo’s son-in-law Stéphan Kipré), atleast one of them living in exile in Ghana, most of the attacks against number of police posts andsecurity installations. 451 At the beginning of 2018, 10 Gbagbo supporters were convicted for a crossborder attack that occurred in 2012 and resulted in 7 fatalities. 452

449 HRW, “Bien loin de la Réconciliation”, Répression militaire abusive en réponse aux menaces sécuritaires en Côte d’Ivoire,

2012, url, pp. 8-20.
450 HRW, World report 2013: Côte d’Ivoire, events of 2012, 2013, url; HRW, Liberia Takes action on cross-Border Attacks into
Côte d’Ivoire, 3 January 2013, url; HRW, Second Deadly Attack Near Liberian Border, 21 September 2018, url; BBC, Ivory
coast closes Ghana border after deadly attack, 22 September 2012, url; BBC, Ivory Coast ‘targeted Laurent Gbagbo allies’ inGhana, 2 December 2013, url; 45e Nord.ca, La Côte d’Ivoire, face à l’impunité d’une reconstruction arbitraire, 26 February
2016, url
451 Reuters, Gbagbo allies behind attacks in Ivory Coast: interior minister, 7 September 2017, url; Crisis Group, Crisis Watch,
Côte d’Ivoire, September 2017, url; Atoo.ci, Des exilés pro-Gbagbo mis en cause dans les attaques contre les postes degendarmerie et de police, 7 September 2017, url; VOA Afrique, Le gouvernement ivoirien accuse des proches de Gbagbo detenter de déstabiliser le pays, 7 September 2017, url
452 Jeune Afrique, Les victimes oubliées de la Côte d’Ivoire, 23 Febraury 2018, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 53

4. Security situation
4.1 General security situation
Generally, the security situation has improved in the past years and has allowed many refugees –mainly from neighbouring countries – and displaced persons to return home. 453 This positive trend
continued, as evidenced by the closure of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) on
30 June 2017 and its last field office by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in April
2018. 454 Henceforth, the ICRC has only a regional office in Abidjan, which focuses its activities on the
Sahel Region. 455
Nevertheless, security issues remain. Violence increased globally during the first Ivorian crisis (20022010), when small arms and light weapons were circulating form the rebel zones towards the progovernmental zones. As a consequence, a high percentage of murders (77 %) is linked to armed
robbery, as survey on data gathered between 2011 and 2015 revealed. Perpetrators are mostly young
men aged 18 to 39 years. Moreover, Côte d’Ivoire displays also a rather high rate of extra-judicial
killings by security forces (13 %). 456
Besides urban criminality (armed robberies by minors in conflict with the law (so-called « microbes »),highway bandits and racketeering by members of security forces) 457, the main security challenges
discussed in this chapter are linked to the security and defense forces (the position of former‘Comzones’, mutinies, internal conflicts between units, etc.). In addition, violence regularly flares up
due to land disputes, particularly in the West.

4.1.1 Minors in conflict with the law (so-called microbes)
The phenomenon of ‘minors in conflict with the law’, often called by the pejorative term ‘microbes’ 458,
was born in the Abobo district (Abidjan) in 2012 after the post-electoral crisis. 459 These juvenile
criminal groups operate essentially in Abidjan, although this phenomenon seems to have occasionallyaffected other cities of the country as well. 460

453 IDMC, Global Report o Internal Displacement 2018 : Côte d’Ivoire, 2018, p.6, url; UNHCR, Côte d’Ivoire Factsheet,

December 2018 url, p.3; Jeune Afrique, Carte : où se trouvent les 45 000 réfugiés de la crise postélectorale ivoirienne?, 12
May 2016, url
454 UN Security Council, Final progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, 31
January 2017, url; Le Point sur, Côte d’Ivoire : le CICR ferme son bureau de la région du Cavally à Guiglo, 18 April 2017. url;
ICRC, Annual Report 2013, n.d. [2014]. url, p. 217; ICRC, Annual Report 2014, n.d. [2015], url, p.220
455 Le Point sur, Côte d’Ivoire : le CICR ferme son bureau de la région du Cavally#Guiglo, 18 April 2017, url; CICR, Genève.
Côte d’Ivoire, n.d., url
456 Nabi Youla Doumbia & Maurice Cusson, Les homicides dans quatre pays d’Afrique francophone de l’Ouest, 2017, pp.3234
457 Afrique sur 7, Abidjan: Face à l’insécurité, la police ivoirienne trouve une solution, 21 July 2018. url; L’Infodrome, Lutte
contre le Racket, l’Inspection générale de la police avertit : « Nous allons frapper très fort », 22 April 2018, url
458 Conseil des droits de l’homme, Rapport de l’Expert indépendant sur le renforcement de capacités et la coopération
technique avec la Côte d’Ivoire dans le domaine des droits de l’homme, 17 June 2016, url, p. 16.
459 Victor Gautier, Microbes et sécurité en Côte d’Ivoire, 14 March 2017, url; Indigo Côte d’Ivoire & Interpeace, Exister par legbonhi, February 2017, url, p. 60.
460 France 24, Côté d'Ivoire : des milices pour contrer la violence des "microbes", 15 September 2017, url; La Dépêche
d’Abidjan, CÔTE D'IVOIRE - Lutte contre la criminalité : lancement de l’opération Epervier III à Yopougon, 22 September 2017,
url; Koaci.com, Côte d'Ivoire: Daloa, la police sévit après les attaques répétées d'une horde de «microbes», 19 March 2017,
url; Abdijantv, Après Abidjan, Les microbes se déportent sur Bouaké: voici leurs cibles, n.d. [2014 ?], url; Akody.com, Côte
d’Ivoire : Biankouma, les microbes auteurs d’attaque à Biankouma condamnés, 17 May 2018, url54 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTEven though they are mostly described as ‘children’, members of the so-called microbes groups areusually aged between 8 and 25 461, whereas the majority of them are aged from 9 to 15.462 The leadersof the groups are usually to be found among the older members. 463 Microbes are essentially boys andyoung men, but sometimes girls also participate in their activities. 464
Girls reportedly have specific roles within the group. For instance, they are responsible for bringing
the weapons on a location before an attack, for provoking a verbal altercation in order to create a
crowd gathering, for standing guard or gathering information. 465 A research on crime and violence inCôte d’Ivoire found out that more and more girls join the ‘microbes’, even creating family units withinthese gangs. 466
Many of these youths have lost one or both parents or live with members of their extended family,
even though they still have one or both parents. 467 Most of them come from underprivileged
backgrounds and neighbourhoods in Abidjan (essentially Abobo) and are often school dropouts. 468
They are predominantly Dioula (see definition provided in Section 1.2.1).469 Some of them have also
served in local militias during the post-electoral crisis or helped the combatants in some other way. 470
According to the sociologist Rodrigue Fahiraman Koné, these martial activities have broken down theirmoral and ethical barriers regarding the use of violence as well as familiarised them with the handlingof weapons and the strategic use of violence. 471
The microbe groups have a hierarchical pyramidal structure (see Figure 2): the leader is called vié-père[from vieux père, old father] or General. He is designated in accordance with the fame his violent actsbrought him. Thus, he can lose his place at the top of the hierarchy to a more violent member. The
Devant-Gbonhi [approximate translation: ‘Front of the group’] or Lieutenant, the direct subordinateof the vié-père, is the mastermind of the group. He interacts directly with the several Têtes-masses
who are responsible of setting their own subgroups in motion when an attack is planned. These
subgroups include youths called ‘Varans’, who are famous for being the most efficient ones. The Groschats [big cats] are affiliated followers. The position of a member in the hierarchy depends on his
bravery and violent actions, not necessarily on his age. 472

461 IDRC, Crime and Violence in Côte d’Ivoire, June 2016, url; RFI, Enquête sur les enfants « microbes à Abidjan », 15 May

2015, url
462 Jean-Claude N’guia & Koko Lucie N’Goran, Psychosocial impact of the crisis post-election in Ivory Coast on girls and boys
youth in Abidjan, 30 November 2016, url, p. 10174.
463 Indigo Côte d’Ivoire & Interpeace, Exister par le gbonhi, February 2017, url, p. 60.
464 CNDHCI, Rapport sur les phénomènes des « Gnambro » et « des mineurs en conflit avec la loi », August-September 2017,
url, p. 6; Francis Akindès, Paroles aux microbes [documentary film], 2017, url; Indigo Côte d’Ivoire & Interpeace, Exister par
le gbonhi, February 2017, url, p.48.
465 CNDHCI, Rapport sur les phénomènes des « Gnambro » et « des mineurs en conflit avec la loi », August-September 2017,
p. 6, url; Francis Akindès, Paroles aux microbes (documentary film), 2017, url; Okon Marguerite Koffi-Djah, Violence et culturede la rue dans le district d’Abidjan: cas des enfants dits «microbes» dans la commune d’Abobo, November-December 2017,url p.13.
466 International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Crime and Violence in Côte d’Ivoire, June 2016, url p.2.
467 Jean-Claude N’guia & Koko Lucie N’Goran, Psychosocial impact of the crisis post-election in Ivory Coast on girls and boys
youth in Abidjan : The phenomenon of germs and academicians, 30 November 2016, url, p. 10173
468 Jean-Claude N’guia & Koko Lucie N’Goran, Psychosocial impact of the crisis post-election in Ivory Coast on girls and boys
youth in Abidjan : The phenomenon of germs and academicians, 30 November 2016, url, p. 10174
469 Marie Miran-Guyon, Société musulmane et régime Ouattara en Côte d’Ivoire. Des affinités électives en demi-teinte,
March 2017, p. 252.
470 Abidjan TV, Phénomène des microbes à Abidjan: qui sont-ils ? Et d’où viennent-ils ? Est-on en droit d’interroger, 9November 2014, url
471 Abidjan TV, Phénomène des microbes à Abidjan: qui sont-ils ? Et d’où viennent-ils ? Est-on en droit d’interroger, 9November 2014, url
472 Indigo Côte d’Ivoire & Interpeace, Exister par le gbonhi, February 2017, url pp. 44-45.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 55

Figure 2 Structure of a Microbe group

Microbes operate in groups; predominantly at night in neighbourhoods they know well 473, hence
Abobo, Anyama, Attécoubé, Adjamé, sometimes also Yopougon or the outskirts of Cocody. 474 Their
usual modus operandi is the following: they enter a busy street in a large group and make a lot ofnoise, simulating fights between them or with a rival gang. Then, very quickly, they steal everything
possible from everyone on their path before withdrawing in an organised way. 475 Another tactic ofthem is to pretend to beg for food or money in order to stop passersby, quickly surrounding them androbbing them. 476 Their weapons are mostly machetes, knives, sticks or other blunt objects 477, rarely

473 Francis Akindès, Paroles aux microbes (documentary film), 2017, url

474 Jean-Claude N’guia & Koko Lucie N’Goran, Psychosocial impact of the crisis post-election in Ivory Coast on girls and boys

youth in Abidjan : The phenomenon of germs and academicians, 30 November 2016, url, p. 10174Mahier Jules-Michel Bah& Jean Louis Niamke, Socialisation à la violence en Côte d’Ivoire : Des enfants soldats aux « Microbes » dans le districtd’Abidjan, 4 April 2016, url, p. 25
475 Séverin Kouamé Yao, Nouchis ziguéhis et microbes d’Abidjan: déclassement et distinction sociale, December 2017, p. 91;
CNDHCI, Rapport sur les phénomènes des « Gnambro » et « des mineurs en conflit avec la loi », August-September 2017, url
p.6; Okon Marguerite Koffi-Djah, Violence et culture de la rue dans le district d’Abidjan: cas des enfants dits «microbes» dansla commune d’Abobo, November-December 2017, url p.14.
476 Jean-Claude N’guia & Koko Lucie N’Goran, Psychosocial impact of the crisis post-election in Ivory Coast on girls and boys
youth in Abidjan : The phenomenon of germs and academicians, 30 November 2016, url, p. 10174
477 Séverin Kouamé Yao, Nouchis ziguéhis et microbes d’Abidjan: déclassement et distinction sociale, in: Politique africaine
no 148, December 2017, p. 91.

56 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

firearms. 478 They perpetrate blunt violence, sometimes clearly aiming at causing death. 479 They often
act under the influence of drugs which they buy in dedicated places called fumoirs (smokehouses). 480
As concerns the motivations of these gang members, scholars think that these youths are not justtrying to flee poverty but that they are looking for a social recognition within the group. These gangs
also offer the perspective of moving up the social ladder. 481 Furthermore, in a context without job
perspectives, where education does not guarantee any social success and where violence is a daily
occurrence, they feel that crime is a legitimate economic activity. 482
In order to combat these youth gangs, the Ivorian authorities set up the police operation Epervier[Hawk] I in May 2016, followed by Epervier II and III in September 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Implemented by the General Direction of the National Police, in collaboration with the National
Gendarmerie, the army and the CCDO, these operations mobilised over 2 500 members of the security
forces each time. Hundreds of persons were arrested, arms and drugs were seized and many fumoirs
destroyed. 483 ‘Anti-microbes’ intervention units set up in every police district in Abidjan also
contributed to the dismantlement of several fumoirs frequented by the gangs. 484 However, the attacks
by the microbes did not stop. 485
A widespread opinion among the population is that ‘microbe’ youths might get support or protection
from ex-combatants integrated in the armed forces, and might hence sometimes escape judicial
sentences. 486 However, prosecution and condemnation of ‘microbe’ gang members do happen. In
2016-2017, 45 children were brought to court. 487 The media recounted several condamnations of‘microbe’ gangs members during the last years, with (sometimes conditional) prison sentences
ranging from some month to 20 years.488 A September 2017 report by the CNDHCI states that someof these youths were being prosecuted at the time of publication. It also outlines that the Ivorian
criminal code foresees that underage children having committed crimes or offenses should be brought
before a children’s court or a juvenile criminal court (Cours d’assises des mineurs). 489

478 International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Crime and Violence in Côte d’Ivoire, June 2016, url p.2.

479 Séverin Kouamé Yao, Nouchis ziguéhis et microbes d’Abidjan: déclassement et distinction sociale, in: Politique africaine

no 148, December 2017, p. 91.
480 Jean-Claude N’Guia & Koko Lucie N’Goran, Psychosocial impact of the crisis post-election in Ivory Coast on girls and boys
youth in Abidjan : The phenomenon of germs and academicians, 30 November 2016 url, p. 1017; CNDHCI, Rapport sur lesphénomènes des « Gnambro » et « des mineurs en conflit avec la loi », August-September 2017, url, p. 6.
481 Indigo Côte d’Ivoire & Interpeace, Exister par le gbonhi, February 2017, url pp. 59-60
482 Les observateurs France 24, Côte d’Ivoire : de quoi les "microbes d’Abidjan" sont-ils le nom ?, 2 October 2017, url; Indigo
Côte d’Ivoire & Interpeace, Exister par le gbonhi, February 2017, url p. 60
483 CNDHCI, Rapport sur les phénomènes des « Gnambro » et « des mineurs en conflit avec la loi », August-September 2017,
url, p. 7; La Dépêche d’Adidjan, CÔTE D'IVOIRE - Lutte contre la criminalité : lancement de l’opération Epervier III à Yopougon,
22 September 2017, url; APA, Côte d’Ivoire/Opération Epervier 2 : 580 personnes interpellées, 40 fumoirs détruits,300 armes
à feu saisies (Hamed Bakayoko), 8 June 2017, url
484 CNDHCI, Rapport sur les phénomènes des « Gnambro » et « des mineurs en conflit avec la loi », August-September 2017,url p.7 ; Koaci.com, Côte d’Ivoire : un « microbe » déféré il y a trois semaines, interpellé à Yopougon avec son gang, 17 July
2018, url
485 France 24, Côté d'Ivoire : des milices pour contrer la violence des "microbes", 15 September 2017, url; France Info, Côte
d’Ivoire: malgré les renforts de police, les «microbes» sévissent toujours, 4 April 2018, url
486 Jean-Claude N’Guia & Koko Lucie N’Goran, Psychosocial impact of the crisis post-election in Ivory Coast on girls and boys
youth in Abidjan : The phenomenon of germs and academicians, 30 November 2016, p. 1017 In: IJDR Vol. 06, Issue 11, url;
CNDHCI, Rapport sur les phénomènes des « Gnambro » et « des mineurs en conflit avec la loi », August-September 2017,
url, p. 7
487 AFP, Côte d’Ivoire : le phénomène des « microbes » délinquants en recul, 13 October 2017, url
488 Akody.com, Côte d’Ivoire: Biankouma, les microbes auteurs d’attaque à Biankouma condamnés, 17 May 2018, url; Le
Patriote, Côte d'Ivoire - Insécurité en Côte d’Ivoire – 122 « microbes » arrêtés, 20 ans de prison pour « Tonneau » et Yacou« l’Ecomog », 14 August 2014, url
489 CNDHCI, Rapport sur les phénomènes des « Gnambro » et « des mineurs en conflit avec la loi », August-September 2017,
url, p.8

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 57

Besides repressive measures, some reintegration measures were taken in favour of minors in conflictwith the law. Youths who fought during the post-electoral crisis were not taken into account by thedisarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) Program, as none of the fighting parties
admitted to having relied on minors as combatants or auxiliaries. 490 In 2018, a pilot rehabilitation
program allowed approximately 700 youths from Abdijan to undergo detoxification and to learn
working skills. 491 The first resocialisation pilot program for juvenile offenders was implemented in
2014-2015 and some dozens of youths participated. 492
The population of the neighbourhoods where violent juvenile gangs operate, exasperated by the
inefficiency of the police operations, reacted by setting up self-defence militias, thus creating the riskof mob justice. 493 Gang youths and children are victims of retaliation and some have been lynched. 494
The CNDHCI also expressed concerns about the generalised suspicion towards youths and children. 495

4.1.2 Challenges related to the defence forces
The Ivorian army is heterogeneous – though often viewed as a northern army - 496 and politicised, as
several presidents integrated supportive groups into it. 497 The Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire[Republican Forces of Côte d’Ivoire] (FRCI) were created in the midst of the post-electoral crisis of
2010-2011 from the amalgam of the old rebel forces from the north of the country called Forces
armées des Forces nouvelles (FAFN), who supported the current President Alassane Ouattara during
the crisis, and the army serving former President Laurent Gbagbo (Forces de defense et de sécurité;
FDS). 498 The former Zone Commanders of the FAFN, called Comzones, were also integrated into thearmy and currently hold important positions in the Ivorian security apparatus (see Section 4.1.2 ). 499
The overall opinion is that the Ivorian army, which is composed for more than 50 % of officers andsub-officers, is overstaffed. Estimations show that by the end of 2017 almost 90 % of the army budget
was allocated to the payment of wages. A voluntary redundancy plan was set up within the frameworkof the 2016 military programming law in order to reduce the army staff from 23 000 at the end of2016 to less than 19 000 by 2020. 500 Besides cutting the costs, this downsizing aims at rejuvenating
and professionalising the staff, as well as reorganising the chain of command. 501 However, the reform

490 Mahier Jules-Michel Bah & Jean Louis Niamke, Socialisation à la violence en Côte d’Ivoire : Des enfants soldats aux« Microbes » dans le district d’Abidjan, p.25, in : International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development,
Volume 3, Issue 4, 4 April 2016, url
491 TV5Monde, Côte d'Ivoire : comment réinsérer les gangs de jeunes surnommés les 'microbes' ?, 23 July 2018, url; LEBOEUF
Aline, « La réforme du secteur de sécurité à l'ivoirienne », IFRI, March 2016, url
492 Koaci.com, Côte d'Ivoire: Réinsertion des mineurs délinquants, Abidjan annonce la création de centres de résocialisation
pour microbes et talibets, 18 December 2015, url
493 France 24, Côté d'Ivoire : des milices pour contrer la violence des "microbes", 15 September 2017, url
494 CNDHCI, Rapport sur les phénomènes des « Gnambro » et « des mineurs en conflit avec la loi », August-September 2017,url p.8; AFP, La vie de "microbe" des enfants-bandits d'Abidjan, 16 August 2017, url; AFP, Scandale: Psychose des "microbes"
à Abidjan, 18 October 2017, url
495 CNDHCI, Rapport sur les phénomènes des « Gnambro » et « des mineurs en conflit avec la loi », August-September 2017,url p.8.
496 Azoumana Ouattara, Rebuilding the army of Côte d'Ivoire: problems and prospects, December 2011, url
497 Aline Lebœuf, Qu’est-ce qu’une bonne réforme du secteur de sécurité ?, December 2017. url, p.19; Anadolu Agency, Côte
d’Ivoire: De quoi souffre l’armée ivoirienne ? 19 January 2018. url
498 Moussa Fofana. Des Forces nouvelles aux Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire, June 2011. url; Aline Le Bœuf, La réforme
du secteur de sécurité à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url pp. 27-28.
499 Jeune Afrique, Anciens comzones en Côte d’Ivoire : rebelles un jour…, 23 July 2018. url; Anadolu Agency, Côte d’Ivoire:
De quoi souffre l’armée ivoirienne ? 19 January 2018. url; Aline Le Bœuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité à l’ivoirienne,
March 2016, url p. 34.
500 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : un plan pour sécuriser les départs volontaires de militaires, 23 February 2018, url; Jeune
Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : comprendre les récentes tensions militaires à Bouaké, 12 January 2018, url; Le Patriote, Côte d'Ivoire:
Loi de programmation militaire - Les enjeux et les objectifs d'une réforme, 27 January 2017, url
501 RFI, La Côte d'Ivoire a commencé le dégraissage de son armée, 11 December 2017, url; APA, Côte d'Ivoire : remise officiellede chèques aux soldats retenus pour le départ volontaire des forces armées, 4 May 2018, url

58 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTof the security sector is regarded by media as risky since it might trigger tensions within the army. 502
The voluntary retirement plan reportedly did not meet the expectations of a more professional army,
as many well-trained staff decided to leave. 503
In 2015, the UN expert group on the Côte d’Ivoire deplored the lack of cohesion within the army. 504
The divisions between ex-rebels and former loyalist soldiers, but also between different units
remain505, as evidenced by the mutinies that took place in 2017 and 2018. 506 In July 2017, during amutiny in Korhogo, different factions within the same battalion shot at each other and killed threesoldiers. 507 In January 2018, soldiers and members of the Centre de coordination des opérations
décisionnelles (CCDO) – a mixed force including members of the army, the police, and the gendarmerie– opened fire on each other in Bouaké causing intense strains within the army. 508
In November 2016, the Defence Minister announced that the FRCI had been renamed Forces Arméesde Côte d’Ivoire [Armed Forces of Ivory Coast] (FACI), as already foreseen by the security sector reform(RSS) law. 509

Figure 3 Naming of the Ivorian army

Former Comzones
After the partition of the country in 2002, the north of the country was controlled by the FN rebel
forces, which supported Alassane Ouattara during the post-electoral crisis. They divided their territoryin 10 zones, each one led by a zone commander of the FAFN, called ‘Comzones’. 510 They functioned
as a kind of political-military governor, not only overseeing military issues, but also supposed toprovide basic services for the population. 511

502 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: comprendre les récentes tensions militaires à Bouaké, 12 January 2018, url
503 Jeune Afrique, La Côte d’Ivoire confrontée à une fuite de ses élites militaires, 22 March 2018, url

504 United Nations Security Council, Final report of the Group of experts on Côte d’Ivoire pursuant to paragraph 27 of Security

Council resolution 2153 (2014), 13 April 2015. url, p.15.
505 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: comprendre les récentes tensions militaires à Bouaké, 12 January 2018, url
506 Le Monde, Côte d’Ivoire : « Il est clair que notre armée n’est pas réunifiée », 13 April 2018. url; IPI Global Observatory,Rebel Networks’Deep Roots Cause Concerns for Côte d’Ivoire Transition, 12 October 2017, url pp.2-3.
507 Jean-Jacques Konadjé, Côte d’Ivoire, le prix de la paix positive, October 2017, url p.12; See also Schiel, R. et al., Mutiny inCôte d’Ivoire, 2017, https://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/afsp/article/view/1051
508 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: comprendre les récentes tensions militaires à Bouaké, 12 January 2018, urlDeutsche Welle,Côte d'Ivoire, vers une réforme de l'armée ?, 15 January 2018, url
509 Koaci, Côte d'Ivoire: Après cinq années d'existence, les FRCI deviennent les FACI, 14 November 2016, url
510 Jeune Afrique, Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009, url; Jeune Afrique, Le règne des seigneurs du Nord,
15 December 2009, url
511 IPI Global Observatory, Rebel Networks’Deep Roots Cause Concerns for Côte d’Ivoire Transition, 12 October 2017, url pp.
2-3.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 59

After the post-electoral crisis, most of the Comzones were integrated into the army, where they still
hold important positions within the Ivorian security apparatus. 512 They lead critical units, as theRepublican Guard, the Special Forces and some of the best-equipped units of the ground army (seebelow). 513
Some former Comzones still retain significant control over the combatants they used to supervise
during the decade in which the rebels controlled the northern half of the country. 514 Recent mutinies
proved their centrality within the current army, as they were indispensable during negotiations withthe mutineers. 515 The situation was a rather complex one to solve, because many former rebels
integrated into the army felt betrayed by their former leaders who accessed wealth and high functions
whereas they did not seem to care about their former combatants. 516 Nevertheless this parallel chainof command still poses an obstacle to the cohesion of the army. 517
Furthermore, the majority of former Comzones are reportedly implicated in illegal lucrative activities(e.g. illegal goldmining) and so have access to considerable economic resources. They also maintainpersonal ties with local traditional leaders in the zone that previously was under their command, as
well as with not totally reintegrated ex-combatants and with some politicians. Moreover, some havestill access to private stocks of arms. 518
Though some former Comzones have been indicted 519, none of them has been prosecuted, neither by
the Ivorian justice nor the international one for the exactions perpetrated during the 10-years’crisis. 520 They also benefit from the amnesty promulgated by President Ouattara in August 2018. 521
The list below shows the former zones of influence of the former Comzones, as well as their current
position as far as this is known.
•

Zone 1: Bouna

Comzone: Morou Ouattara, alias Atchengué. 522
Current position: Commander of the Eastern security battalion. 523•

Zone 2: Katiola

512 Jeune Afrique, Anciens comzones en Côte d’Ivoire : rebelles un jour…, 23 July 2018, url; Anadolu Agency, Côte d’Ivoire:

De quoi souffre l’armée ivoirienne ? 19 January 2018, url; Aline Le Bœuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité à l’ivoirienne,
March 2016, url p. 34.
513 IPI Global Observatory, Rebel Networks’Deep Roots Cause Concerns for Côte d’Ivoire Transition, 12 October 2017, url, p.
2
514 Jeune Afrique, Anciens comzones en Côte d’Ivoire : rebelles un jour…, 23 July 2018, url; Anadolu Agency, Côte d’Ivoire:
De quoi souffre l’armée ivoirienne ? 19 January 2018, url; Aline Le Bœuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité à l’ivoirienne,
March 2016, , url p. 34.
515 Assemblée nationale française, Rapport d’information sur la Côte d’Ivoire, février 2017, url p.116.; IPI Global Observatory,Rebel Networks’Deep Roots Cause Concerns for Côte d’Ivoire Transition, 12 October 2017, , url p.4.
516 Le Monde, Côte d’Ivoire : comment les mutins ont fait plier le gouvernement, 26 May 2017, url
517 IPI Global Observatory, Rebel Networks’Deep Roots Cause Concerns for Côte d’Ivoire Transition, 12 October 2017, url p.
2
518 IPI Global Observatory, Rebel Networks’Deep Roots Cause Concerns for Côte d’Ivoire Transition, 12 October 2017, url;France, OFPRA, « Côte d’Ivoire : les anciens com’zones dans l’armée ivoirienne », 11 September 2017, url
519 RFI, Côte d'Ivoire: les réactions aux inculpations d'ex-chefs rebelles, 8 July 2015, url; Jeune Afrique, « Côte d’Ivoire :inculpations tous azimuts dans l’armée », 30 June 2015. url
520 FIDH, Côte d’Ivoire : choisir entre la justice et l’impunité, 11 December 2014, urlFIDH, Les victimes oubliées de la Côte
d’Ivoire, 7 March 2018, url
521 Dr Adou Djané Phone interview, 13 September 2018; L’Express, Côte d'Ivoire: Ouattara joue son va-tout, 17 August 2018,
url; APR & AFP, Côte d'Ivoire: Pourquoi Ouattara a-t-il amnistié Simone Gbagbo et les politiques?, 11 August 2018, url
522 Jeune Afrique, Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009. url ; APR & AFP, Côte d'Ivoire: Pourquoi Ouattara
a-t-il amnistié Simone Gbagbo et les politiques?, 11 August 2018, url ; Aline Leboeuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité à
l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p. 47/ Jeune Afrique, Anciens comzones en Côte d’Ivoire : rebelles un jour… , 23 July 2018, url
523 Jeune Afrique, Anciens comzones en Côte d’Ivoire : rebelles un jour… , 23 July 2018, url; Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire : Ange
Kessi ne lâche toujours pas Morou Ouattara, 7 June 2018. url

60 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

Comzone: Hervé Touré, alias Vetcho. 524
Current position: unclear. In September 2017, while he was Commander of the third infantry battalion,
he successfully passed the entry exams for the Ivorian National administration school. Aftercompletion of this course he might engage in diplomacy or pursue his military carrier. 525•

Zone 3: Bouaké (former rebel capital)

Comzone: Chérif Ousmane, alias Papa Guépard. 526
Current position: Commander of the first battalion of commandos and paratroopers. 527•

Zone 4: Mankano

Comzone: Zoumana Ouattara, alias Zoua. 528
Current position: No current information found. In 2015, he was Commander of the first infantry
battalion in Akouédo. 529•

Zone 5: Vavoua-Séguéla

Comzone: Koné Djakaridja, alias Koné Zakaria until June 2008, he was then ousted after internal
conflict between rebels and flew to Burkina Faso for a while. 530 Replaced by Issiaka Ouattara, alias
Wattao. 531
Current positions: Koné Zakaria is Commander of the Command and Support Unit of the land forces. 532
Wattao is Commander of the Republican Guard. 533 According to Afrique sur 7, he could be the next
Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Côte d’Ivoire. 534•

Zone 6: Man

Comzone: Losseni Fofana, alias Loss or Cobra. 535
Current position: Commander of Western Security Battalion based in Man. 536•

Zone 7: Touba

524 Jeune Afrique, Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009. url; Aline Leboeuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité

à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p.47.
525 Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire : Touré Hervé dit Vétcho, le Comzone major de sa promotion à l’ENA, 25 September 2017, url;
Le 360 Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire. Rébellion du Nord : 16 ans après, que sont devenues les grandes figures des Forces Nouvelles ?,23 September 2018, url
526 Jeune Afrique, Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009, url; Aline Leboeuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité
à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p.47.
527 Jeune Afrique, Anciens comzones en Côte d’Ivoire : rebelles un jour… , 23 July 2018, url; Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire :Guéguerre Ouattara-Soro, les ex-Com’zones se rangent…, 27 July 2018, url
528 Jeune Afrique, Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009, url; Aline Leboeuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité
à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p.48.
529 Aline Leboeuf, Paris. La réforme du secteur de sécurité à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p.48.
530 L’Inter, Forces Nouvelles : Après deux ans d’exil, Koné Zakaria de retour en zone CNO, 15 March 2011, url
531 Jeune Afrique, Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009. url; Aline Leboeuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité
à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p. 48. On Zakaria Koné, see : url
532 Jeune Afrique, Anciens comzones en Côte d’Ivoire : rebelles un jour… , 23 July 2018, url; Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire :Nouvelles nominations dans l’armée, la liste complète ! 28 January 2017, url
533 Afrique sur 7, CIV : Après Touré Hervé dit Vétcho à l’ENA, Wattao décroche un Master, 22 May 2018, url; Jeune Afrique,Anciens comzones en Côte d’Ivoire : rebelles un jour… , 23 July 2018, url
534 Afrique sur 7, Côte d'Ivoire : Wattao attend (impatiemment) son grade de général, 24 July 2018, url
535 Jeune Afrique, Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009, url; Aline Leboeuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité
à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p.49.
536 Connection Ivoirienne. La Bataillon de sécurisation de l’ouest (BSO) de la Côte-d’Ivoire montre ses muscles, 23 May 2018.
url; Jeune Afrique, Anciens comzones en Côte d’Ivoire : rebelles un jour… , 23 July 2018, url; Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire :Nouvelles nominations dans l’armée, la liste complète!, 28 January 2017, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 61

Comzone: Daouda Doumbia alias Big, 537 then replaced by Dramane Traoré. 538
Current positions: Daouda Doumbia is the President of the Taekwondo Ligue of Abobo 539 and the Headof the Army Sports Bureau (Bsa). 540 Between 2015 and 2016, he has been Commander of the
Command and support Battalion. 541
Dramane Traoré: Commander of the fourth Infantry Battalion (January 2017). 542•

Zone 8: Odienné

Comzone: Ousmane Coulibaly, alias Ben Laden 543, then, after June 2011, Ben le Sage (Ben the Wise). 544
Current Position: Prefect of San Pedro since September 2012. 545•

Zone 9 : Boundiali

Comzone: Koné Gaoussou, alias Jah Gao. 546
Current position: Commander of the Command and support Battalion (January 2017). 547•

Zone 10: Korhogo

Comzone: Martin Kouakou Fofié. 548
Current position: Deputy Commander of the second military region (Daloa) since 2016. 549

Mutinies and contestations
During 2017, various branches of the Ivorian security and defence forces launched mutinies, which, insome cases, spread to several cities. In addition, former rebel combatants demonstrated to obtain
demobilisation benefits. In this section, a chronology of events is presented.
January 2017: in the night of 5/6 January, former rebels integrated in the army and some demobilised
soldiers attacked several police positions in Bouaké and blocked the city’s main streets. They
demanded the payment of bonuses and other benefits. The following day the revolt spread to other

537 Jeune Afrique, Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009. url; Aline Leboeuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité

à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p.49; AIP, Côte d’Ivoire; Armées : Les nouveaux chefs de la GR et du BCS installés, 2 February
2017, url
538 See France, OFPRA, Les anciens com’zones dans l’armée ivoirienne, 11 September 2017, url p.19
539 FITKD, Brillants à la President’s Cup Africa à Agadir (Maroc), Les Eléphants Taekwondo ins ont regagné Abidjan, mardi,
April 2018, url
540 ZAMA Alain, Jeu de dame : Le Camp Galliéni abrite la 1ère édition du championnat militaire et paramilitaire. FraternitéMatin, June 2017, url
541 Aline Leboeuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p.49.; AIP, Armées : Les nouveaux chefs
de la GR et du BCS installés, 2 February 2017, url
542 Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire : Nouvelles nominations dans l’armée, la liste complète ! 28 January 2017, url
543 Jeune Afrique, Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009, url; Aline Leboeuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité
à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p. 49; Jeune Afrique, Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009. url
544 Human Rights Watch, "Ils les ont tués comme si de rien n’était". Le besoin de justice pour les crimes post-électoraux en
Côte d’Ivoire, October 2011, url p. 125
545 Jeune Afrique, Anciens comzones en Côte d’Ivoire : rebelles un jour… , 23 July 2018, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire :Ouattara nomme trois anciens chefs de guerre de la rébellion à la tête de régions sensibles, 26 September 2012, url
546 Jeune Afrique, Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009, url; Aline Leboeuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité
à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p. 50
547 Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire : Nouvelles nominations dans l’armée, la liste complète ! 28 January 2017, url
548 Jeune Afrique,Les dix commandants qui gênent Abidjan, 7 April 2009, url; Aline Leboeuf, La réforme du secteur de sécurité
à l’ivoirienne, March 2016, url p. 49
549 Jeune Afrique, Anciens comzones en Côte d’Ivoire : rebelles un jour… , 23 July 2018, url; Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire :Nouvelles nominations dans l’armée, la liste complète ! 28 January 2017, url62 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

cities, including Abidjan, Korhogo, Daloa and Man. The mutineers negotiated with the Defence
Minister who accepted to pay the demanded allowances to approximately 8 400 soldiers. 550
A few days later, gendarmes and prison wards, who were not included in the aforesaid agreement,
also protested in Abidjan, Bouaké, Yamoussoukro, Odienné and Bouaflé to receive bonus payments. 551
February 2017: members of special forces of various towns (Adiaké, Olodio, Tengrela, etc.)
demonstrated their dissatisfaction by shooting in the air. They also demanded payment of bonuses
and better living conditions. 552
May 2017: At the beginning of the month, demobilised ex-combatants, who were not integrated into
the army, also protested and demanded bonus payments. They suspended their protest after talks
with the prefect of the city. 553
The mutineers of Bouaké had received only the first instalment of the bonuses agreed on in January
when a representative of the military announced on television that they had renounced their financial
claims. This statement was the spark that ignited the fire. A new mutiny began in Bouaké in the nightof 11-12 May 2017. The protests spread rapidly to Abidjan, San Pedro, Bondoukou, Korhogo andMan. 554
At the end of May 2017, more than 6 000 demobilised former rebels demonstrated and blocked atrunk road south of Bouaké. A clash between security forces and the demobilised ex-combatants killed
at least four demonstrators. 555 Eventually an agreement between ex-rebels and the government wasreached: the Ivorian authorities agreed to pay the rest of the promised sums and peace wasrestored. 556
June 2017: The Ivorian government declared that CFA 10 million (about EUR 15 200) had already been
remitted to the mutineers, adding that the final payment would be made before the end of themonth. 557
July 2017: On 9 July, some demobilised combatants again blocked the road accesses to Bouaké inorder to obtain a war’s end bonus. The police quickly dispersed the protesters. 558
Disgruntled soldiers fired gunshots in the night of 14 to 15 July, in two military camps in Abidjan(Abobo municipality) and Korhogo. Security and defence forces reacted promptly. Three persons died,three were injured, six were arrested and three corporals were dismissed from the army. 559
August 2017: The Council of ministers passed an ordinance making it easier to dismiss soldiers. 560

550 Aline Leboeuf, Les mutineries de janvier 2017 en Côte d’Ivoire: scénarios & options, 8 February 2017, url; La Tribune

Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : le gouvernement trouve un accord avec les militaires mutins, 14 January 2017. url ; GRIP, Monitoringde la stabilité régionale dans le bassin sahélien et en Afrique de l’ouest – janvier à mars 2017, 11 April 2017, url
551 Le Monde; AFP; Reuters, En Côte d’Ivoire, la grogne des militaires s’étend à d’autres corps de sécurité, 18 January 2017.
En Côte d’Ivoire, la grogne des militaires s’étend à d’autres corps de sécurité, url; RFI, Mutineries en Côte d’Ivoire: legouvernement annonce un plan d'urgence, 18 January 2017, url
552 Le Monde, Côte d’Ivoire : tirs en l’air de forces spéciales à Adiaké, à l’est d’Abidjan, 7 February 2017, url; VOA Afrique,Côte d’Ivoire : retour au calme à Adiake mais la ville reste sous tension, 7 February 2017, url
553 Abidjan Daily News, Des ex-combattants manifestent encore à Bouaké, 8 May 2017, url; BBC News, Côte d'Ivoire: les exrebelles "débloquent" Bouaké, 8 May 2017, url
554 GRIP, Monitoring de la stabilité régionale dans le bassin sahélien et en Afrique de l’ouest, avril à juin 2017, 11 July 2017,
url; Le Monde, Côte d’Ivoire : comment les mutins ont fait plier le gouvernement, 26 May 2017, url
555 Le Monde, Côte d’Ivoire: les « démobilisés » en colère comptent leurs morts à Bouaké, 23 May 2017, url; RFI, Côte d’Ivoire:les démobilisés de Bouaké à la croisée des chemins, 25 May 2017, url
556 Le Figaro, En Côte d'Ivoire, le lourd bilan politique des mutineries, 29 May 2017, url
557 APA, Côte d’Ivoire : le reliquat de 2 millions FCFA sera payé fin juin aux mutins (PM Gon Coulibaly), 15 June 2017, url;
Afrique sur 7, « Côte d'Ivoire : Bouaké, décès de Diomandé Mêgbê, leader des ex-combattants », 20 December 2018, url
558 Burkina 24, Côte d’Ivoire : « Des démobilisés » de Bouaké ont bloqué une nouvelle fois la circulation, 10 July 2017, url
559 AFP, Côte d'Ivoire : trois soldats radiés après des tirs dans un camp militaire (armée), 17 July 2017, url
560 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: une ordonnance pour mettre fin aux mutineries, 10 August 2017, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 63

The National Security Council adopted the opération ceinture [operation belt] to tackle the attacks
and mutinies of the previous months. This operation was aimed at securing several towns, among
others Bouaké, Korhogo, Fresco, Adzopé. 561
October 2017: Several hundreds of demobilised former rebels claimed war premiums in Man;
approximately 20 others did the same in Bouaké. 562
January 2018: The army apologised for the mutinies of 2017 and announced the dismissal of 230
soldiers and gendarmes involved in the mutinies. 563
May 2018: The army reinforced its vigilance after former rebels, integrated in the security and defence
forces, called for a demonstration. The initiators were said to be a group of 600 men who had been
deployed alongside the UNOCI during the post-electoral crisis and who asserted that they had notreceived any salary nor premiums for their mission. The demonstration did not take place. 564
September 2018: The 600 gendarmes and police officers mentioned above continued claiming theirpremiums. Approximately 300 soldiers who did not receive the bonus promised in January 2017 joined
them. They expressed their commitment to dialogue and did not announce any demonstration. 565

Attacks on security forces’ positions
From July 2017, attacks on military positions were regularly reported. Most of the times the assailants
also stole weapons. 566
On 19 July 2017, assailants attacked the police schools of Cocody and Yopougon in Abidjan andrequisitioned vehicles. Shoot-outs with the security forces caused one death. Several military officers
were discharged because of their implication in the attacks. Documents found on one of the attackers
seemed to indicate that they planned a military coup. 567 A few days later, the police brigade of thecity of Azaguié (in the south of the country) was attacked and weapons were stolen. 568
Two other similar attacks were perpetrated in Adzopé and Songon in August and September 2017 but
did not result in any casualties. 569 As mentioned before, at the end of August 2017 opération ceinture[operation belt] was initiated to restore security in Bouaké, Korhogo, Fresco and Adzopé amongst
others. 570
Furthermore, the authorities accused pro-Gbagbo followers living in exile of instigating these attacks.
The President mentioned arrest warrants, adding that the Ivorian government would send proof tothe host countries of the ‘disrupters’. One of the accused and other political allies of Gbagbo refuted
the allegations they called ‘ridiculous’. 571

561 Côte d’Ivoire, Sécurité : L’« opération ceinture » en réponse aux attaques et mutineries, 29 August 2017, url

562 Jeune Afrique; AFP, Côte d’Ivoire: nouvelles manifestations d’anciens rebelles démobilisés à Man et Bouaké, 2 October

2017, url; AFP, Côte d’Ivoire: mouvements d’humeur d’anciens rebelles dans deux villes, 2 October 2017, url
563 La Tribune Afrique, Côte d'Ivoire: 230 soldats radiés, le prix des mutineries de 2017, 5 January 2018, url
564 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: les forces de sécurité en alerte par « mesure de précaution », 5 May 2018. url
565 Ivoire Matin, Côte d’Ivoire : Le feu couve - Près de 1000 policiers, gendarmes et militaires menacent, 17 September 2018,
url
566 GRIP, Monitoring de la stabilité régionale dans le bassin sahélien et en Afrique de l’ouest –- juillet à septembre 2017, 17
October 2017, url, p. 8567 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire: ce que tramaient les assaillants de l’École de police d’Abidjan, 5 September 2017. url
568 Le Monde/AFP, Côte d’Ivoire: un commissariat d’Abidjan attaqué par des hommes à moto, 27 September 2017. url
569 Le Monde/AFP, Côte d’Ivoire : un commissariat d’Abidjan attaqué par des hommes à moto, 27 September 2017. url
570 Côte d’Ivoire, Sécurité : L’« opération ceinture » en réponse aux attaques et mutineries, 29 August 2017, url
571 Atoo.ci, Des inconnus attaquent un commissariat à Abobo et emportent des armes, 26 September 2017, url; Le
Monde/AFP, Côte d’Ivoire: un commissariat d’Abidjan attaqué par des hommes à moto, 27 September 2017, url; AFP, Côte
d’Ivoire: les proches de Gbagbo réfutent les accusations de complot, 8 September 2017, url64 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTAt the end of September 2017, a police station in Abobo (Abidjan) was attacked and weapons werestolen. 572 From the end of 2017 until the beginning of 2018, several attacks targeted security forces in
the western part of the country near Liberia. Members of the security forces were killed and weapons
were reportedly robbed. 573 In April 2018, assailants armed with stolen weapons assaulted acheckpoint in western Côte d’Ivoire.574 A few days later, assailants attacked a police station in Abidjan,
freed detainees and stole ammunitions.575 No other similar attacks were reported until the end of thereference period (see Introduction). 576

Weapons proliferation
After the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) process had ended in June 2015, alarge number of weapons and ammunitions remained unaccounted for. 577 The Commission Nationalede lutte contre la prolifération et la circulation illicite des armes légères et de petit calibre [National
Commissions to combat the proliferation and illicit circulation of small arms] (ComNat-ALPC)
continued to collect and destroy weapons. In July 2017, a member of this commission declared thatthe amount of arms still in circulation was unknown, which made the task even more difficult. 578
The UN Group of Experts on Côte d’Ivoire considers that this situation is the result of approximately
ten years of crisis during which arms have been widely distributed without any control on civilians
conscripted as auxiliary forces. 579 Besides the moderate achievements of the DDR process, after thewars in neighbouring countries (Liberia and Sierra Leone) and the fall of Muammar Kaddafi in Libya, alarge number of weapons were brought into the country. 580 While Côte d’Ivoire was parted in rebel
and loyalist zones, Burkina Faso reportedly provided arms to the FN forces despite the arms embargo
imposed by the United Nations. 581 In addition, a number of weapons were stolen during several
attacks on military and police bases, as mentioned in the previous section. 582
In April 2016, the UN Security Council decided to lift the sanctions imposed on Côte d’Ivoire since2004.583 These sanctions included the embargo on lethal weapons, but allowed some exceptions forsupporting the security sector reform. Nevertheless, specific categories of lethal weapons, such as
missiles, still required advance approval of the UN Sanction Committee. 584
In May 2017, during the mutinies (see above), an weapons cache containing tons of weapons wasfound in Bouaké, in the residence of Souleymane Kamaraté Koné, alias Soul-to-Soul. Koné was the
Director of protocol of Guillaume Soro, former rebel leader, former Prime Minister under Gbagbo
572 Le Monde/AFP, Côte d’Ivoire: un commissariat d’Abidjan attaqué par des hommes à moto, 27 September 2017, url

573 GRIP, Monitoring de la stabilité régionale dans le bassin sahélien et en Afrique de l’ouest, janvier à mars 2018, 9 April
2018. url; Fraternité Matin, Axe Bangolo-Kouibly: Un assaillant tué dans l'attaque d'un poste de contrôle des Faci, 6 April
2018, url; Ivoire Soir, Attaque de Daloa : La bande à Gnana Bi démantelée, 2 militaires parmi les assaillants, 1 May 2018, url
574 Fraternité Matin, Axe Bangolo-Kouibly: Un assaillant tué dans l'attaque d'un poste de contrôle des Faci, 6 April 2018, url
575 L’infodrome, Abidjan : Un commissariat de Police encore attaqué, 14 April 2018, url
576 GRIP, Monitoring de la stabilité régionale dans le bassin sahélien et en Afrique de l’ouest, avril à juin 2018, 5 July 2018,
url; GRIP, Monitoring de la stabilité régionale dans le bassin sahélien et en Afrique de l’ouest, juillet à septembre 2018, 15
October 2018, url
577 United Nations Security Council, Final report of the Group of Experts on Côte d’Ivoire pursuant to paragraph 27 of Security
Council resolution 2219 (2015), 17 March 2016, url, p.3.
578 Jeune Afrique, Circulation d’armes en Côte d’Ivoire : l’artillerie en sous-sol, 18 October 2017, url
579 United Nations Security Council, Final report of the Group of Experts on Côte d’Ivoire pursuant to paragraph 27 of Security
Council resolution 2219 (2015), 17 March 2016, url p.3
580 Jeune Afrique, Circulation d’armes en Côte d’Ivoire : l’artillerie en sous-sol, 18 October 2017, url
581 UNODC, Trafic d’armes à feu en Afrique de l’Ouest, no date (February 2013 ?), url
582 GRIP, Monitoring de la stabilité régionale dans le bassin sahélien et en Afrique de l’ouest, janvier à mars 2018, 9 April
2018, url; Fraternité Matin, Axe Bangolo-Kouibly: Un assaillant tué dans l'attaque d'un poste de contrôle des Faci, 6 April
2018, url; Ivoire Soir, Attaque de Daloa : La bande à Gnana Bi démantelée, 2 militaires parmi les assaillants, 1 May 2018, url
583 UN Security Council, Resolution 2283 (2016), 28 April 2016, url
584 Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies, Le Conseil de sécurité proroge les sanctions imposées à la Côte d’Ivoire jusqu’au
30 avril 2016, 28 April 2015, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 65

after the Marcoussis Agreement and President of the National Assembly until February 2019. 585 In aphone call the Ivorian authorities intercepted, Koné had indicated the location of the cache to themutineers so that they could resist the army’s assault by arming themselves. 586
In September 2017, a weapons storing place was discovered in Abidjan. Besides rocket launchers,
Kalashnikovs, and other weapons and ammunitions, it contained military uniforms, communication
devices and cards with the stamp of an armed group that supported the FN during the post-electoral
crisis. 587
Investigators think that at least three more hidden weapon storing places must exist, probably locatedin the western, northern and eastern parts of the country. 588

4.1.3 Terrorism
Côte d’Ivoire experienced one terrorist attack in March 2016. Assailants armed with Kalashnikovs
opened fire on the beach of the sea resort of Grand Bassam, approximately 40 kilometres from
Abidjan. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the attack that caused thedeath of 19 persons. 589
Security forces reacted swiftly and killed several assailants. Côte d’Ivoire had been aware of being alikely terrorist target and had prepared for such an attack by setting up security and anticipation
strategies. 590
Sources disagree on the potential existence of Islamist sleeping cells in Côte d’Ivoire. While the Ivoriangovernment did not identify dormant terrorist cells within the country 591, some media sources statethat jihadist sleeper cells had already been dismantled previously in Bouaké and Abidjan. 592
Investigations on the Grand-Bassam attack suggest international terrorist connections with Mali. 593
Indeed, while most suspects were arrested on Ivorian ground, one of the masterminds of the attack
was intercepted in Mali and other suspects were arrested in Senegal and Burkina Faso. 594 Two years
after the attack, one of the presumed masterminds was still on the run. 595 Reportedly, none of theassailants was Ivorian. 596

585 Le Figaro, L'ex-rebelle ivoirien Soro forme son gouvernement, 15 October 2007, url;BBC News, Guillaume Soro, leprésident de l'Assemblée nationale, démissionne en Côte d'Ivoire, 11 February 2019, url
586 Jeune Afrique, Armes découvertes à Bouaké, : comment « Soul to Soul » s’est trahi, 14 August 2017. url; François
Conradie,NKC African Economics, Ivory Coast – Arrest of Soro ally Kone is risk-negative, 13 October 2017. url; Africanews,
Côte d'Ivoire - Affaire cache d'armes : le chef de protocole de Soro Guillaume coincé, 14 August 2017, url
587 Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : des armes de guerre découvertes à Abidjan, 27 July 2017, url; Jeune Afrique, Circulation
d’armes en Côte d’Ivoire: l’artillerie en sous-sol, 18 October 2017, url
588 Jeune Afrique, Circulation d’armes en Côte d’Ivoire : l’artillerie en sous-sol, 18 October 2017, url
589 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire: un an après l’attentat de Grand-Bassam, où en est l’enquête ?, 13 March 2017, url; RFI, Attaque àGrand-Bassam: la Côte d'Ivoire, cible des jihadistes, 14 March 2016, url
590 L’Express, Côte d'Ivoire: ce que révèle l'assaut meurtrier de Grand-Bassam, 14 March 2016, url; RFI, Attaque à GrandBassam: la Côte d'Ivoire, cible des jihadistes, 14 March 2016, url; Setal.net. Dakar. Attaques terroristes : Dakar et Abidjan
prochaines cibles, selon Paris et Washington, 20 January 2016, url
591 Assemblée nationale française, Rapport d’information sur la Côte d’Ivoire, February 2017, url p.119.
592 L’Express, Côte d'Ivoire: ce que révèle l'assaut meurtrier de Grand-Bassam, 14 March 2016, url; Jeune Afrique, Terrorisme: la Côte d’Ivoire en état de vigilance maximum, 10 February 2016, url
593 Jeune Afrique/AFP, Mali: un des organisateurs présumés de l’attaque de Grand-Bassam arrêté, 12 January 2017, url
594 RFI, Mali: arrestations liées à l'attaque de Grand-Bassam, 12 January 2017, url; L’Intelligent d’Abidjan, 2 ans de l’attentat
de Grand-Bassam - Hamed Bakayoko : « L’enquête a permis l’arrestation du principal suspect », 14 March 2018, url;
L’infodrome, Abidjan. Attentat de Grand-Bassam: Les commanditaires arrêtés au Sénégal, 9 July 2018, url; RTI, Attentat
Grand Bassam : Le point sur les enquêtes, 14 March 2017, url
595 Eburnie Today, Attentats de Grand-Bassam : où en est l’enquête ?, 15 March 2018, url ; Jeune Afrique Côte d’Ivoire : unan après l’attentat de Grand-Bassam, où en est l’enquête ?, 13 March 2017, url
596 Assemblée nationale française, Rapport d’information sur la Côte d’Ivoire, February 2017, url p.119.

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After several terrorist attacks in countries of the region, member States of the West African Economicand Monetary Union (UEMOA) reinforced their cooperation to combat terrorism. 597 Thanks to theWest Africa Police Information System (WAPIS), national security services of the Economic Communityof West African States (ECOWAS) member states should be able (once national information systems
are set up) to share data. WAPIS is an electronic platform connected to Interpol, whose aim is tocombat transnational crime affecting the region, such as drug trafficking, human smuggling andterrorism. 598
In January 2018, the Ivorian Defence Minister and the French Ambassador in Côte d’Ivoire announced
the forthcoming creation of an international academy against terrorism near Abidjan. 599 Besides withFrance, the Ivorian government also established partnerships with the United States and Canada inorder to strengthen the operational capacities of the Ivorian defence and security forces. 600
Risks of terrorist attacks in Côte d’Ivoire still exist, according to several sources. 601 Ivorian authorities
consider that threats originate principally from outside Côte d’Ivoire. The potential existence of aninternal radicalisation threat remains difficult to appreciate. 602

4.2 Security situation in the west of Côte d’Ivoire
The ICRC closed its Man office in 2014. In 2018, it also closed its Guiglo office and explained that theCavally region had recovered stability (see Map 3). The ICRC only keeps a regional office in Abidjan
whose activities focus on the Sahel region. 603 In July 2017, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) also
ended its operations in western Côte d’Ivoire after eleven years because of the ‘relative socioeconomic stabilisation’ and ‘normalisation of population movements’. 604
Though cross-border attacks from Liberia reportedly have almost stopped after the 2015 presidential
election, sporadic attacks on positions of the security forces did occur. 605 Several attacks on security
forces resulting in fatalities were reported at the beginning of 2018 in the west of Côte d’Ivoire,particularly near the Liberian border. Weapons may have been stolen during these attacks. 606
After a gendarme was lynched in Bloléquin at the beginning of 2018, the government announced
several measures, including the dismantlement of all illegal roadblocks, the upholding of the‘enhanced security arrangements’ in this zone, a search operation in order to retrieve weapons
obtained unlawfully and the forthcoming opening of a police station in Bloléquin. 607 It is not clear
whether the above mentioned security apparatus corresponds to the enhanced arrangements set up

597 RFI, Terrorisme: 15 mesures préconisées pour renforcer la coopération de l'UEMOA, 28 May 2016, url

598 AFP, Coopération policière régionale en Afrique de l’ouest contre la criminalité transnationale, 25 June 2018, url; Interpol,

WAPIS Programme, no date, url; Interpol, Regional security leaders support INTERPOL programme to reinforce West African
policing, 26 June 2018, url
599 Ambassade de France, Abidjan. Création d’une Académie internationale de lutte contre le terrorisme, 11 June 2018, url;
RFI, Côte d'Ivoire: fin du colloque de l'Académie de lutte contre le terrorisme, 21 November 2018, url
600 Afrique sur 7, Côte d’Ivoire : Terrorisme, l’armée se prépare à toutes éventualités, 6 February 2018, url
601 Gov.UK, Foreign travel advise Côte d’Ivoire, updated 15 January 2019, still current at 3 May 2019, url, DFAE, Berne.
Conseils aux voyageurs – Côte d’Ivoire, 31 August 2018, url; Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, 2 August 2018, url; Koaci.com, Côte
d’Ivoire: Rumeurs d’attaques terroristes, les forces armées ivoiriennes se préparent à toutes éventualités, 24 September
2017, url
602 Assemblée nationale française, Rapport d’information sur la Côte d’Ivoire, February 2017, url p.119-120.
603 Le Point sur, Côte d’Ivoire : le CICR ferme son bureau de la région du Cavally#Guiglo, 18 April 2017, url
604 DRC, DRC exits from Côte d’Ivoire after 11 years, 31 July 2017, url
605 AFP, Côte d’Ivoire: attaque d’un commissariat dans l’ouest, des armes emportées, 31 October 2016, url
606 GRIP, Monitoring de la stabilité régionale dans le bassin sahélien et en Afrique de l’ouest, janvier à mars 2018, 9 April
2018, url; Fraternité Matin, Axe Bangolo-Kouibly: Un assaillant tué dans l'attaque d'un poste de contrôle des Faci, 6 April
2018, url
607 Côte d’Ivoire, Communiqué du Conseil des Ministres du 21 February 2018, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 67

after the prefecture of Guiglo was ransacked at the end of 2017, which raised the number ofpolicemen, gendarmes and soldiers affected to this zone to 1 000. 608

4.2.1 Land disputes
Conflicts linked to land disputes in Côte d’Ivoire are ancient and long-lasting. Even though theseconflicts also concern other regions in the country, the west is particularly affected. 609
According to customary law, land belongs to a community (village, family, lineage) considered to be
the first occupants of the site. Land cannot be alienated or sold; only the right of use can be ceded. In
this context ‘owners’ consider themselves to be ‘managers’ of the land. The colonial power
confiscated the land and this rule was extended after independence: successive governments
benefitted from having control of the soil, and settled agricultural workers according to their politicaland economic interests. 610

The roots of land disputes
Land management has been insecure because of the legal uncertainty that the state maintained.
Indeed, several attempts at land reform were initiated by the colonial and the postcolonial states.
Sometimes, land laws recognised the customary rights (decree of 20 May 1955), sometimes theyignored them (law of 1962 and 1964, speech of President Houphouët-Boigny in 1963). 611
In the 1960s and 1970s, Ivorian President Félix Houphouët-Boigny planned that cocoa farming would
boost the Ivorian economy. He urged foreign workforce to come and settle in the country andencouraged Ivorian farmers to move to zones they did not necessarily originate from. His maxim was:‘land belongs to those who develop it.’ 612 Pressure was put on local communities so that they would
give access to land to Ivorian and non-Ivorian settlers. 613 Migration to the forest areas in the south
and the west of the country was massive. 614 This migration met primarily the ‘autochthones’ 615 (seealso Glossary and Chapter 1) need for labour force and allowed them to benefit from land rents bytransferring their land parcels to migrants. 616 Indeed, under the tutorat [tutorship] system, the‘landowners’ (tutors) delegate their land rights to the migrants who then owe their tutors constantgratitude. This gratitude is mostly expressed through donation of a share of the harvest to the tutor.
The terms of these cessions (duration, geographical limits) are not always clear. 617
In the 1990s, demographic pressure - the Ivorian population quadrupled between 1960 and 1998 and migration flows led to a scarcity of land resources. Autochthones openly began to call the validityof cession contracts into question, causing tensions between rural communities. The collapse of cacao

608 Le Monde, Dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, une terre trop convoitée, 7 December 2017, url

609 ICG, Côte d’Ivoire: le Grand Ouest, clé de la reconciliation, 28 January 2014, url pp. 1-2; RFI, Côte d’Ivoire : la bombe àretardement du foncier rural, 16 March 2018, url
610 IDMC, Whose land is this ?, October 2009, url, pp.13-17.
611 KONÉ Mariatou, Foncier rural, citoyenneté et cohésion sociale en Côte d’Ivoire : la pratique du tutorat dans la souspréfecture de Gboguhé, 2006, url
612 Le Monde, Dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, une terre trop convoitée, 7 December 2017, url
613 Jean-Pierre Chauveau, The land tenure question in Côte d’Ivoire: A lesson in history, 2000, url
614 Koffi Justin Kouassi, Les Conflits fonciers ruraux en Côte d’Ivoire, March 2017, url
615 In Côte d’Ivoire, the following terms are used: autochthones, allochthones, foreigners (allogènes). Autochthones arepeople belonging to a social group considered to be the first occupants of the place they live in. Allochtones are Ivorian
citizens belonging to a community which is not autochthon in the place they live. For example Baoulé (originating from thecentre of Côte d’Ivoire) are considered allochthons in western Côte d’Ivoire. Foreigners (allogènes) are non-Ivorian citizens,for example Burkinabé. Some of them have been living in Côte d’Ivoire for several generations but are still consideredallogènes. See Gnabéli Roch Yao, La production d’une identité autochtone en Côte d’Ivoire, footnote 1, 2008, url
616 Kouakou Jérôme et al., Quand la question foncière sape les actions humanitaires de cohésion dans les régions du Guémon
et du Cavally en Côte d’Ivoire, January 2016, url, p. 4
617 Alfred Babo & Yvan Droz. Conflits fonciers. De l’ethnie à la nation. Rapports interethniques et « ivoirité » dans le sudouest de la Côte-d’Ivoire. In : Cahiers d’études africaines 2008/4, n° 192, url p. 745.

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prices, followed by the succession war after the death of Houphouët-Boigny in 1993, added to thetension. 618 It was also during that period that the concept of Ivoirité, which introduced a distinction
between Ivorians of origin (belonging to an ethnic group native to the country) and non-Ivorians wascreated.619 In the countryside, this political context contributed to widening the gap between Ivorianand Burkinabé, but also between local Ivorian communities and Ivorian migrants stemming from thenorthern part and from the central part (here mostly Baoulé) of the country, which also led toconflicts. 620
In 1998, the law on rural land tenure (loi no 98-750 du 23 décembre 1998), strongly influenced by theideology of Ivoirité 621, was passed in order to resolve these conflicts. Under customary law, land does
not have a market value, but this changed when the 1998 law recognised indigenous customary rights
over land in rural areas. 622 The application for the registration of a piece of land requires thepossession of customary rights on that land. This provision gives indigenous landowners a central rolethat they never had before. 623
Customary land rights has to be secured through the registration of property titles within ten years.
However, given the complexity of the situation and the delays linked to the Ivorian crises, this deadline
has been extended to 2023. 624 Upon expiry of this deadline, the land parcel is registered as propertyof the state and the person exploiting it becomes tenant. 625 Most customary landowners find theregistration procedure complex and expensive and, thus, prefer to avoid it. 626 Moreover, while some
do not know the laws 627, others prefer to ignore them and go on selling the land to the highest
bidder. 628 Women also are still marginalised in the process of acquiring access to land. 629 Recent
estimates showed that the law remains poorly enforced. Currently, less than 4 % of rural land parcels
hold a land certificate, whereas customary law rules the remaining 96 %. 630

618 Le Monde, Dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, une terre trop convoitée, 7 December 2017, url; RFI, Côte d’Ivoire : la bombeà retardement du foncier rural, 16 March 2018, url; Koffi Justin Kouassi, Les Conflits fonciers ruraux en Côte d’Ivoire, March
2017, url; Kouakou Jérôme et al., Quand la question foncière sape les actions humanitaires de cohésion dans les régions duGuémon et du Cavally en Côte d’Ivoire, janvier 2016., url, p.4.
619 Koffi Justin Kouassi, Côte d’Ivoire. Les Conflits fonciers ruraux en Côte d’Ivoire, March 2017, url; The World Bank, Local
governance and national crisis in Côte d’Ivoire (DRAFT), April 2008, url p. 9
620 Kouakou Jérôme et al., Bouaké. Quand la question foncière sape les actions humanitaires de cohésion dans les régions
du Guémon et du Cavally en Côte d’Ivoire, January 2016. url, p.6; Chauveau Jean-Pierre, La réforme foncière de 1998 en Côte
d’Ivoire à la lumière de l’histoire des dispositifs de sécurisation des droits coutumiers, 2006, url, p. 19
621 Alfred Babo & Yvan Droz. Conflits fonciers. De l’ethnie à la nation. Rapports interethniques et « ivoirité » dans le sudouest de la Côte-d’Ivoire 2008,, url p. 753.
622 KOUASSI Koffi Justin, Côte d’Ivoire. Les Conflits fonciers ruraux en Côte d’Ivoire, March 2017. url
623 KOUADIO Zéphyrin, « Côte d’Ivoire : le partage des terres, source de palabres interminables », (volet 1), RFI, 5 June 2017.
url ; KOUASSI Koffi Justin, « Les conflits fonciers ruraux en Côte d’Ivoire », Irénées.net, March 2017. url
624 RFI, Paris. Côte d’Ivoire : la bombe à retardement du foncier rural, 16 March 2018. url; Le Monde, Dans l’ouest de la Côte
d’Ivoire, une terre trop convoitée, 7 December 2017, url
625 Kouakou Jérôme et al., Bouaké. Quand la question foncière sape les actions humanitaires de cohésion dans les régions
du Guémon et du Cavally en Côte d’Ivoire, January 2016, url; Chauveau Jean-Pierre, Question foncière et construction
nationale en Côte d'Ivoire : les enjeux silencieux d’un coup d’Etat, June 2000, url, p. 97.
626 Dr Adou Djané Phone interview, 13 September 2019 ; Kouakou Jérôme et al., Quand la question foncière sape les actions
humanitaires de cohésion dans les régions du Guémon et du Cavally en Côte d’Ivoire, January 2016, url
627 Ministère de l’agriculture et du développement rural, Déclaration de politique foncière rurale de la Côte d’Ivoire, January
2017, url p.8.
628 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire : la bombe à retardement du foncier rural, 16 March 2018, url
629 IDMC, Whose land is this ?, October 2009, url, pp. 15-16.
630 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire : la bombe à retardement du foncier rural, 16 March 2018, url; ; Ministère de l’agriculture et dudéveloppement rural, Déclaration de politique foncière rurale de la Côte d’Ivoire, January 2017, url p. 8 ; NGA Armelle, «Côte d’Ivoire : les terres de l’ouest, sources de conflits », AFP, 10 November 2016, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 69

Furthermore, the law on rural land tenure forbids foreigners to access property 631, which in somecases led to expropriation of foreigners. 632 As soon as it entered into force in 1999, about 15 000
Burkinabé were chased from the plantations in Tabou (south-western Côte) after a dispute between
autochtones and migrants. 633 The new Ivorian Constitution promulgated in 2016 reiterated theprohibition for foreigners to access rural property. However, it specifies, ‘acquired rights areguaranteed.’ 634
Clandestine gold mining, often practiced by migrants (foreigners or Ivorians originating from anotherregion, including former combatants), appears to be widespread throughout the country and can giverise to land or intercommunity conflicts. Indeed, gold mining makes the neighbouring land unsuitable
for agriculture. Nevertheless, some village chiefs receive vast sums in order to let gold miners go on
with their activity, despite the opposition of part of the local community. 635
Rural land is the object of nationalist and xenophobic claims since several decades. As a source of
conflicts, it remains a central issue to achieve social stability, especially in western Côte d’Ivoire. 636

Situation specific to western Côte d’Ivoire
The western part of the country, especially the regions Guémon and Cavally, are particularly affectedby land conflicts. 637
Indeed, in addition to the agrarian migration described above, this region was the scene of several
waves of population displacement during the last decades: the influx of Liberian refugees during theLiberian civil war (1989-2003), then internal displacement, the departure of Ivorian refugees and thearrival of Liberian mercenaries during the Ivorian crises (2002-2011) and more recently, the return of
Ivorian refugees from Liberia. 638 Many displaced/refugees found their land occupied upon return.
Thousands of complaints were filed for dispossession of land. 639
Land conflicts do not only oppose exclusively autochthonous Ivorians to foreigners, but also
distinguish Ivorians from autochthonous ethnic groups and Ivorians from allochthonous ethnic
groups. 640

631 Chauveau Jean-Pierre, et al. Côte d'Ivoire : la question foncière à l'épreuve de la paix. In : Léonard Eric et al. (ed.), Enjeux

fonciers et dynamiques des rapports sociaux en milieu rural ouest-africain. Territoires d'Afrique (4), 2012, p. 53-59; Le
Monde, Dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, une terre trop convoitée, 7 December 2017, url; ; KOUASSI Koffi Justin, Côte d’Ivoire.
Les Conflits fonciers ruraux en Côte d’Ivoire, March 2017, url; ; Loi No 98-750 du 23 décembre 1998 relative au domaine
foncier rural modifée par la loi no 2004-412, du 14 août 2004, art.1, url
632 BABO Alfred & DROZ Yvan, Conflits fonciers. De l’ethnie à la nation. Rapports interethniques et « ivoirité » dans le sudouest de la Côte-d’Ivoire, 2008, url p. 753.
633 Le Monde, Dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, une terre trop convoitée, 7 December 2017, url
634 Côte d’Ivoire, LOI n° 2016-886 du 8 novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la République de Côte d'Ivoire, 8 November
2016, url
635 Dr Adou Djané, researcher at the Swiss Center for scientific research in Côte d’Ivoire, expert in governance, reconciliationand conflict management. Phone interview, 13 September 2019.
636 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire : la bombe à retardement du foncier rural, 16 March 2018. url; IDMC, Déplacements internes en Côte
d’Ivoire: une crise de protection, 7 November 2005, url p.4, ; Kouassi N’goran François & N’drin Beugré Anselme, Conflits
Fonciers Intercommunautaires Et Fracture Sociale Dans Les Régions Du Guémon Et Du Cavally À L’ouest De La Côte d’Ivoire,May 2016, url p.260.
637 Kouakou Jérôme et al., Quand la question foncière sape les actions humanitaires de cohésion dans les régions du Guémon
et du Cavally en Côte d’Ivoire, January 2016, url
638 Le Monde, Dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, une terre trop convoitée, 7 December 2017, url
639 RFI, Côte d’Ivoire : la bombe à retardement du foncier rural, 16 March 2018. url; France 24, Difficile retour au pays pourles Ivoiriens réfugiés au Libéria, 19 February 2013, url; Claire Rainfroy, Près de 20 000 réfugiés ivoiriens devraient regagner
la Côte d’Ivoire en 2017, 20 June 2017, url
640 Le Monde, Dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, une terre trop convoitée, 7 December 2017, url; L’Infodrome, Conflits intercommunautaires: Des morts et plusieurs blessés à l'ouest, 8 December 2018, url; Dr Adou Djané, researcher at the Swiss
Center for scientific research in Côte d’Ivoire, expert in governance, reconciliation and conflict management. Phone
interview, 13 September 2018.

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During the decade of crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, migrants settled down in the protected forests (forêts
classées – land owned by the state set aside for conservation), mostly to plant cocoa. 641 From thenearly four million hectares of protected forest in the country, almost half has been transformed
illegally in agricultural land. Approximately 30 % to 40 % of the national cocoa production comes fromprotected forests (e.g. Mount Peko National Park). 642
During the 10-year crisis, armed groups took advantage of the security vacuum and took control ofprotected areas to enrich themselves unlawfully, for example by selling land parcels. Despite thedecision of the authorities to remove the inhabitants of protected forests and parks 643, many former
combatants who had infiltrated the protected forests after 2002 or during the post-electoral crisis arestill there. They consider this land as their salary or war booty for the services they rendered. 644

641 Yao Sadaiou, Sabas Barrima et al. Cocoa crops are destroying the forest reserves of the classified forest of Haut-Sassandra(Ivory Coast) In: Global Ecology and Conservation (vol. 8), October 2016, url; Human Rights Watch, Côte d’Ivoire : Expulsions
arbitraires d’habitants de forêts classées, 13 June 2016, url
642 Human Rights Watch, Côte d’Ivoire : Expulsions arbitraires d’habitants de forêts classées, 13 June 2016, url
643 Human Rights Watch, Côte d’Ivoire : Expulsions arbitraires d’habitants de forêts classées, 13 June 2016, url
644 Dr Adou Djané, Phone interview, 13 September 2018.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 71

Map 4 The protected forests of Western Côte d’Ivoire, © Human Rights Watch, June 2016 645

In 2013, the transitional period of the rural land law was extended by 10 years before the State can
exercise its pre-emptive right on ‘land without owners’. 646 Four million plots remained to be identified(representing as many land titles to be issued) and 10 000 rural villages to be delimited out of
11 000.647
Asked about the issue of land conflicts in western Côte d’Ivoire, the sociologist Adou Djané explainedthat there is no steady antagonism between determined ethnic groups or communities. Conflicts
erupt often after a precipitating event, like a fight between members of different communities(autochthones vs migrants). Given the tense context, these quarrels may lead to disputes on landissues and cause an intercommunity conflict, sometimes with forced displacement. 648

645 Human Rights Watch, Côte d’Ivoire: Expulsions arbitraires d’habitants de forêts classées, 13 June 2016, url
646 ABOA Ange, « Ivory Coast lawmakers pass critical land, nationality laws », Reuters, 23 August 2013, url

647 Initiatives Côte d’Ivoire, « Gestion du foncier rural en Côte d’Ivoire, Comment réussir la réforme ? », January 2014, url
648 Dr Adou Djané, Phone Interview, 13 September 2018.

72 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

Measures aimed at curtailing land conflicts
The current Ivorian government considers that recurring rural land conflicts is harming social cohesion
and peace. It also recognises the complexity of the litigations that sometimes involve several issues(intercommunity disputes, intergeneration disputes, forced displacement, civil laws /customary
rights). 649
Hence, the Ivorian government took steps in order to reduce land disputes and conflicts, promoting
the delimitation and marking of village territories, setting up land management village committees
under the authority of the sub-prefects. 650 Moreover, the Agence foncière rurale [Rural land agency](AFOR) was established in 2017. 651 It is responsible inter alia for the identification of privately owned
land parcels. 652
The authorities also launched a 10-year land tenure political strategy (2017 to 2027), which foreseesa revision of the legislative framework (conflicting provisions), a simplification and a reduction in costof the rural land securing procedure, as well as appropriate incentives. 653
Dr Djané stated that in his opinion, the balance was restored: the chieftaincies – which are the local
traditional authorities – are autochthonous (even though they might be a minority group and/or do
not have the highest financial weight on their territory), the autochthones allow the migrants to use
the land. In return, the migrants donate a share of their harvest to the landowner. 654

649 Ministère de l’agriculture et du développement rural, Déclaration de politique foncière rurale de la Côte d’Ivoire, January
2017, url, p. 9.
650 Dr Adou Djané, Phone interview, 13 September 2018.
651 Agence Ecofin, Côte d’Ivoire : l’Agence foncière rurale désormais opérationnelle, 13 September 2017, url; Foncier rural,
Délimitation des territoires des villages, no date, url
652 Dr Adou Djané, Phone interview, 13 September 2018.
653 Ministère de l’agriculture et du développement rural. Déclaration de politique foncière rurale de la Côte d’Ivoire, January
2017, url, p. 9.
654 Dr Adou Djané, Phone interview, 13 September 2018.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 73

5. Specific human rights issues
5.1 General overview
In a January 2017 report on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), the UN Secretary
General reported: ‘The human rights situation in Côte d’Ivoire is, in general, improving. Human rights
violations decreased from the post-election crisis of 2010 and 2011.’ 655
From April 2016 to January 2017, the UNOCI documented 88 cases of human rights violations,
including violations of the right to life, to physical integrity, unlawful and arbitrary arrest anddetention, violations of the right of peaceful assembly and of property rights. UNOCI also documented
34 cases of sexual violence from May 2016 to April 2017. 656
Death penalty abolition, already stated in Article 2 of the Constitution of 2000 adopted byreferendum 657, was reaffirmed with Article 3 of the Constitution of 2016. 658
Starting from the independence of the Country in 1960, death penalty sentences were issued but
never applied. 659

5.1.1 PrisonsA study by the Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme de Côte d'Ivoire [National Commission
for the Human Rights in Côte d’Ivoire] (CNDHCI) carried out from January to April 2018 reveals that all
the prisons in Côte d’Ivoire hosted a total of 15 025 inmates in May 2017, having a theoretical capacityof 7 970 inmates. 660 A reason for overcrowding includes the frequent use of pretrial detention. 661
Medical care for prisoners is inadequate; they also experience extortion by prison guards and otherdetainees. 662 In 2017, arbitrary arrests and detention took place 663, even if decreased in number.
Abusers were rarely investigated and prosecuted. 664

5.1.2 Corruption
In 2018’s Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Côte d’Ivoire scored 35
out of 100 on the perceived level of public sector corruption (zero representing highly corrupt and 100
very clean). 665 Between 2013 and 2018, Côte d’Ivoire was among the few countries that significantly
improved their CPI score, 666 moving from 27 points in 2013 to 35 points in 2018. 667

655 UN Security Council, Final progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire,

S/2017/89, 31 January 2017,url
656 HRC – UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent Expert on the enhancement of capacity-building and technicalcooperation with Côte d’Ivoire in the field of human rights*, 19 May 2017, A/HRC/35/43 url
657 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi n°2000-513 Du 1er Août 2000 portant Constitution De La Côte d’Ivoire, url
658 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi n° 2016-886 du 8 novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la République de Côte d'Ivoire, url
659 Amnesty International, 40 années de lutte pour abolir la peine de mort, 27 September 2017, No 2, ACT 50/7151/2017, url;
AIP, La peine de mort jamais appliquée en Côte d’Ivoire depuis 1960 (ministre de la justice), 9 April 2018, url
660 CNDHCI, De visite des maisons d’arrêt et de correction de Côte d’Ivoire, Rapport, January-April 2018, url
661 HRC – UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent Expert on the enhancement of capacity-building and technicalcooperation with Côte d’Ivoire in the field of human rights*, A/HRC/35/43, 19 May 2017, url
662 Human Rights Watch, World Report 2018, Côte d’Ivoire, Events of 2017, 18 January 2018, url
663 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017, Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url
664 Human Rights Watch, World Report 2018, Côte d’Ivoire, Events of 2017, url. More information on prison conditions canbe found in Le Marcis, Frédéric, Le destin de Yacou « le Chinois », Carrière criminelle et devenir de la Côte d’Ivoire au prismede la prison, url
665 TI, Corruption Perceptions Index 2018, n.d. , url
666 TI, How corruption weakens democracy, 29 January 2019, url
667 TI, Sub-Saharan Africa: Undemocratic regimes undermine anti-corruption efforts, 29 January 2019, url

74 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTThe World Bank Data’s 2017 rates Côte d’Ivoire ‘3’ in the Country Policy and Institutional Assessment(CPIA), that measures transparency, accountability, and corruption in the public sector (with 1 rating
as low and 6 rating as high). The country has maintained the same rating since 2013. 668
The TI-CPI indicates that the current administration under President Ouattara has placed anticorruption measures in the political agenda and has taken steps in order to combat systemic
corruption, although it is premature to assess their effectiveness. 669
According to TI reporting in 2016, ‘corruption remains endemic, systemic, permeating all levels ofsociety. Corruption in the judiciary, police and security forces is an area of particular concern, fuellinga climate of impunity for corruption’. 670 Similarly, Freedom House’s 2019 Report refers that‘corruption and bribery remain endemic’, with the police, the judicial system, the government
contracting operations being particularly affected. 671
Corruption and impunity are also present in the Forces Armées de Côte d'Ivoire [Armed Forces of the
Republic of Côte d’Ivoire] (FACI), the police and the gendarmerie. 672
On a micro-level, corruption or petty and bureaucratic corruption hampers the citizens’ general accessto services, from issuing a birth certificate to claiming goods from customs. 673 Grand and politicalcorruption - specifically in the area of public procurement - translates into forms of nepotism andmoney laundering. 674
Sources agree that perpetrators are rarely prosecuted, 675 although the Bertelsmann Stiftung (BTI)
indicates that it is more likely that petty crime is prosecuted; generally, perpetrators ‘do not face any
significant adverse publicity from civil society, the media or opposition parties’.676
According to the Freedom House 2019 Report, neither the Loi No 2013-867 du 23 Décembre 2013
relative à l’accès à l’information d’intérêt public [Law no. 2013-867 of 23 December 2013 related tothe access of information of public interest] 677 nor the requirement by the Haute Autorité pour laBonne Gouvernance [High Authority for Good Governance] (HABG) 678 for public officials to submit
asset declarations are consistently enforced. 679
According to the Human Rights Watch 2016 World Report, extortion by security forces at illegal
checkpoints was an ongoing issue at the country, particularly at rural areas. Additionally, the security
forces continued illegally benefiting from the country’s revenues through smuggling and parallel
taxation of natural resources, including diamonds, cocoa, timber and diamonds. 680

668 World Bank, the World Bank data, n.d. , url

669 Those steps include the launching in 2013 of the ‘National Plan on Good Governance and the Fight Against Corruption’ aswell as the creation of new institutions aiming at combatting corruption and of reporting mechanisms. TI, Côte d’Ivoire:
Overview of corruption and anti-corruption, 18 April 2016, url, pp. 7-10
670 TI, Côte d’Ivoire: Overview of corruption and anti-corruption, 18 April 2016, url, p. 1
671 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2019, Côte d'Ivoire, n.d., url
672 United States, USDOS, Côte d’Ivoire 2017 Human Rights Report, 20 April 2018, url
673 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2019, Côte d'Ivoire, n.d., url; TI, Côte d’Ivoire: Overview of corruption and anticorruption, 18 April 2016, url, pp. 3-5
674 TI, Côte d’Ivoire: Overview of corruption and anti-corruption, 18 April 2016, url, pp. 3-5
675 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2019, Côte d'Ivoire, n.d., url; Bertelsmann Stiftung, Transformation Index (BTI)
2018, Côte d'Ivoire Country Report, Rule of Law, 17 April 2018, url
676 Bertelsmann Stiftung, Transformation Index (BTI) 2018, Côte d'Ivoire Country Report, Rule of Law, 17 April 2018, url
677 Côte d'Ivoire, CAIDP, Loi No 2013-867 du 23 Décembre 2013 relative à l’accès à l’information d’intérêt public, 23
December 2013, url
678 The High Authority for Good Governance is a body for the prevention and punishment of acts of corruption and related
offenses, an anti-corruption body, has the aim to combat official corruption. Source: Côte d'Ivoire, HABG, Présentation, n.d.,url
679 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2019, Côte d'Ivoire, n.d. , url
680 HRW, World Report 2016: Côte d'Ivoire, 27 January 2016, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 75

5.1.3 Freedom of press
The freedom of the press in the country have overall been improving ever since the end of the 20102011 conflict. 681 In the 2019 World Press Freedom Index, Ivory Coast is ranked 71st out of 180 countries
with regard to press freedom, an improvement from 2018’s ranking as 82nd. 682
Journalists still face intimidation and even violence by the security forces in relation to theirprofession, 683 especially if they are associated with the opposition and during electoral campaigns.
The state controlled media is highly scrutinised by the government, 684 but there are multiple private
media outlets highly critical to the government. 685
In February 2017, six journalists were arrested and detained for covering army mutinies. Their charges
included the publication of fake news, defamation and inciting soldiers to mutiny. After two days, they
were released but remained under police investigation. 686 In August 2017, two Le Quotidien
journalists were arrested due to an article they wrote concerning the National Assembly President’s
finances. 687
In 2018, fewer press freedom violations were registered in the country; although the Conseil Nationalde la Presse [National Council for the Print Media] (CNP) still acts stricter on opposition newspapers
than on pro-government ones, journalists are no longer subjected to outright abuses. 688 Nevertheless,there were still incidents of police attacks against journalists, especially during demonstrations. 689 For
instance, in March 2018, journalist and blogger Daouda Coulibaly was assaulted and arrested by thepolice while attempting to cover an opposition protest and later was not permitted to file a formal
complaint about the incident. 690
The government operates the media outlets (radio, television and newspaper) with the widest reachin the country, 691 with the Haute Autorité de la Communication Audiovisuelle [High Audiovisual
Communications Authority] (HACA) in charge of overseeing the regulation and operation of radio andtelevision stations. 692
In December 2017, the National Assembly adopted a new media law. Article 89 states that custody,
pre-trial detention, and imprisonment are excluded for offenses committed by way of press or othermedia. 693 According to Amnesty International, the law still contains provisions that violate the right tofreedom of expression. While detention and prison term are excluded for press offenses, they are also
subject to other applicable laws, such as the Criminal Code, which has provisions of a jail sentence for
instance for offending the head of state. 694
681 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2019, Côte d'Ivoire, n.d., url
682 RWB, 2019 World Press Freedom Index, Côte d’Ivoire, n.d., url

683 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2019, Côte d'Ivoire, n.d., url; Bertelsmann Stiftung, Transformation Index (BTI)

2018, Côte d'Ivoire Country Report, Political participation, 17 April 2018, url
684 Bertelsmann Stiftung, Transformation Index (BTI) 2018, Côte d'Ivoire Country Report, Political participation, 17 April 2018,url
685 Bertelsmann Stiftung, Transformation Index (BTI) 2018, Côte d'Ivoire Country Report, Political participation, 17 April 2018,
url
686 AI, Côte d’Ivoire: Arbitrary arrests, crackdown on dissent and torture ahead of Presidential election, 11 February 2019,
url; AI, Amnesty International Report 2017/18, 22 February 2018, url, pp. 136-137
687 AI, Amnesty International Report 2017/18, 22 February 2018 url, pp. 136-137
688 Bertelsmann Stiftung, Transformation Index (BTI) 2018, Côte d'Ivoire Country Report, Political participation, 17 April 2018,
url
689 RWB, 2019 World Press Freedom Index, Côte d’Ivoire, n.d., url
690 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2019, Côte d'Ivoire, n.d., url ; AI, West and Central Africa: Attacks on journalists
reach alarming levels, 2 May 2018, url
691 BBC, Ivory Coast profile – Media, 21 November 2017, url; Freedom House, Freedom of the Press 2017, Côte d'Ivoire
Profile, n.d., url
692 Côte d'Ivoire, HACA, Missions et Pouvoirs de la Haca, n.d., url
693 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi N° 2017-867 du Decembre 2017 Portant Régime Juridique de la Presse, n.d., url
694 AI, Côte d’Ivoire: A fragile human rights situation, May 2019, url, p. 10

76 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTThe law also sets fines in case of insult, in case of publishing, broadcasting, divulging or reproducing
fake news and in case of defamation against the authorities or the armed forces. 695 According toAmnesty International, due to the vagueness of the law, the defamation provision could also apply forstatements as old as ten or more years ago. In such cases, journalists working on crimes that took
place during the election crisis in 2010-2011 are also at risk by individuals involved in the crisis andnow positions in the government. 696

5.1.4 Freedom of association, of religion, of expression
The Ivorian Constitution protects freedom of assembly and association, but peaceful protests during
the year were repressed and in some cases led to arrests. 697
The Constitution guarantees freedom of religious belief and worship, it prohibits religious
discrimination in employment and stresses the importance of religious tolerance for the welfare of
the State.698 All religious groups have to register with the Interior Ministry Department in charge ofcults. 699 The Government generally protects legal warranties of religious freedom. 700
In February 2017, the Council of Ministers issued a decree promulgated by President Ouattara on themodalities of application of Law No 2014-388 of 20 June 2014 for the promotion and protection ofhuman rights defenders in the country. The decree specifies the rights of defenders and their freedom
to carry out their work; they cannot be prosecuted, investigated, arrested or detained for opinions
expressed and reports published in the course of their activities. 701 However, the mechanism by which
the State intends to protect human rights defenders is not clear702, nor is the way through which law’s
implementation is controlled. 703

5.1.5 People with disabilities
People with disabilities (visual, motor, hearing, mental), and children in particular, are disadvantaged,
marginalised and often excluded by the community. 704 The law requires to train and educate persons
with disabilities, but in 2017 they were discriminated both in the fields of education andemployment. 705 In 2015, the Ivorian Government employed 300 persons with disabilities as civil
servants. In April 2018, the Minister in charge of Communication announced that the State would
hire– by way of derogation – 158 more persons with disabilities. 706

695 AI, Côte d’Ivoire: A fragile human rights situation, May 2019, url, p. 10; United States, USDOS, 2018 Country Reports on

Human Rights Practices: Côte d’Ivoire, 13 March 2019, url
696 AI, Côte d’Ivoire: A fragile human rights situation, May 2019, url, p. 10
697 AI, Côte d’Ivoire 2017/2018, 22 February 2018, url; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2018, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 March
2018, url; United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017, Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url
698 United States, USDOS, 2017 Report on International Religious Freedom - Côte d'Ivoire, 29 May 2018, url
699 Côte d’Ivoire, Décret n° 2011-388 du 16 novembre 2011 portant organisation du Ministère d’Etat, Ministère de l’Intérieur,
url
700 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2018, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 March 2018, url
701 Côte d’Ivoire, Decret n°2017-121 du 22 Fevrier 2017 portant modalites d’application de la loi n° 2014-388 du 20 juin 2014
portant promotion et protection des defenseurs des droits de l’homme, url
702 ISHR (International Service for Human Rights), Côte d'Ivoire - Civil society welcomes government decree to protect
defenders, urges adequate resourcing, 22 May 2017, url
703 HRW, World Report 2018, Côte d’Ivoire, Events of 2017, url
704 Fratmat.info, Côte d'Ivoire: Condition de vie des personnes handicapées - Une pétition lancée par une ONG, 30 October
2017, url
705 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017,Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018 url
706 Portail officiel du Gouvernement de Côte d'Ivoire, Emploi : le Gouvernement va recruter 158 personnes en situation dehandicap a la fonction publique, 4 April 2018, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 77

5.2 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons (LGBT)
Côte d’Ivoire does not specifically criminalize homosexuality or same-sex acts. 707 The Ivorian Penal
Code indeed does not explicitly condemn LGBT practices. 708
Article 360 of the Ivorian Penal Code provides that whoever commits public indecency is liable toimprisonment from three months to two years and a fine from CFA 50 000 to 500 000 (about EUR 75
to 750) . The provision adds that if the public indecency is an indecent act or an act against nature
with an individual of the same gender, the term of imprisonment will be six months to two years andthe fine shall be CFA 50 000 to 300 000 (about EUR 75 to 460). 709
NGOs such as LIDHO and Front Line Defenders in 2014 stated that it was difficult to determine if theaforementioned article was actually repressing homosexuals in the country, and if court decisions
resulted from that provision. 710
The National Commission for the Human Rights in Côte d’Ivoire underlines that there is nodiscriminatory legal regime in the Ivorian law, but also that there are neither dispositions providing
for specific State protection of sexual minorities nor ‘tolerance’ of the State towards the issue of sexual
orientation. 711
The anti-discrimination provision of the 2016 Constitution does not envisage protection against
discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. 712
Erasing 76 crimes, an international blog focusing ‘on the human toll of 76+ countries’ anti-LGBTI laws
and the struggle to repeal them’, stated in 2016 that ‘it is difficult to discern the government’s actual
position on LGBT issues’. President Ouattara had requested the CNDHCI to intervene after Alternative
CI, an NGO fighting homophobia and defending the rights of LGBTI people living with HIV, was attacked(see below in this section), but on the other hand, the government voted against two UN Human
Rights Council resolutions intended to enhance the protection of LGBT people. 713
Amnesty International states that the situation of LGBTI persons has deteriorated since 2014. 714
In 2014, NGOs such as Alternative CI and LIDHO confirmed that homophobia was present in the
country and LGBTI persons had to hide their homosexuality to avoid discrimination, violence, insults,
and humiliation; also, they could suffer from family rejection and loss of support networks. Alternative
CI and LIDHO affirmed that sexual minorities are more accepted in urban than in rural areas. 715
Alternative CI maintains that homophobic and transphobic behaviours are present at all levels of theadministration. The number of LGBT persons working in public and private administrative services is
not known, as they hide their sexual orientation for fear of being dismissed and fall into
precariousness. 716

707 Reuters, Jailing of gay Ivorian men stokes fears in LGBT safe haven, 22 March 2017, url

708 CNDHCI, Rapport Alternatif Sur La Situation Des Droits De L'homme En Côte d'Ivoire, September 2016, url
709 Côte d’Ivoire, Code Penal, A LOI N° 81-640 Du 31 Juillet 1981 Instituant Le Code Penal, url

710 Canada, IRB, Côte d’Ivoire: Application of article 360 of the Penal Code against sexual minorities (2014), CIV105029.FE, 22

December 2014, url
711 CNDHCI, Rapport Alternatif Sur La Situation Des Droits De L'homme En Côte d'Ivoire, September 2016, url
712 HRW, World Report 2018, Côte d’Ivoire, Events of 2017, 18 January 2018, url
713 Erasing 76 crimes, Ivory Coast as LGBT sanctuary? Except when it’s not, 12 July 2016, url
714 AI, Côte d’Ivoire: a Fragile Human Rights Situation, October 2018, url
715 Canada, IRB, Côte d'Ivoire: Treatment of sexual minorities by society and the authorities, including legislation; state
protection and support services (2006-February 2014), CIV104784.FE, 27 February 2014, url
716 Alternative CI, ONG, Rapport alternatif sur le droit des personnes Lgbt en Côte d’Ivoire 2014- June 2018, E-mail, 27
December 2018.

78 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORTIn January 2014, after days of anti-gays protests 717, a large mob attacked and pillaged the offices of
the NGO Alternative CI. 718 Three days before the attack, the Executive Director and his collaborators
were locked up in the NGO premises. Alternative CI reported that police of the 22nd district refused tointervene. 719 No one has ever been brought to justice for that attack. 720
In June 2016, two gay men were assaulted after a photo was published in which they were in the US
Embassy signing a book of condolences for victims of a shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando(Florida). 721 The two assaulted men, and four other men who were also pictured, have been forced toflee their homes under pressure. 722
According to an Afrobarometer dispatch of 2016, a survey in 33 African countries in 2014/2015, thepercentage of tolerance for homosexuals in Côte d’Ivoire was 18 % (indicating the percentage of
respondents who did not deem living next to homosexuals a problem). 723 In 2016, members of sexual
minorities had to conceal their sexual orientation in order to avoid insults, discrimination, humiliationsand violence. 724
In 2017, discrimination and violence against LGBT persons were still a social problem. 725 One part ofthe population considers homosexuality as a kind of depravity and subversion of the social order 726,or ‘a crime’ 727, while another part of it has no prejudices about the sexual orientation of LGBT
people. 728 Security forces were at times slow and inefficient in their response to societal violenceagainst the LGBT community. 729 LGBT people faced violence and harassment by State security
forces. 730
Alternative CI states that people whose sexual orientation or gender identity are not considered‘normal’, can be victims of inhuman treatment sometimes also in presence of the FACI. 731
Although transgender people are neither criminalised nor persecuted 732, according to the NGO
Alternative CI they continue to be victims of repeated attacks, and are sometimes rounded up andviolently arrested by the police in the Marcory zone in Abidjan; they sometimes have to pay money totheir torturers to be freed. 733

717 Reuters, Jailing of gay Ivorian men stokes fears in LGBT safe haven, 22 March 2017, url; Erasing 76 crimes, Ivory Coast:

Activists under attack by anti-gay mobs, 24 January 2014, url
718 AI, Shut Down For Speaking Out, ACT 30/6170/2017, url; Jeune Afrique, Côte d’Ivoire : les locaux d’une ONG défendantles droits des homosexuels saccagés, 6 February 2014, url
719 Alternative CI, ONG, Rapport alternatif sur le droit des personnes Lgbt en Côte d’Ivoire 2014- June 2018, E-mail, 27
December 2018.
720 AI, Shut Down For Speaking Out, ACT 30/6170/2017, url
721 HRW, Human Rights Watch Country Profiles: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, 23 June 2017, url
722 Reuters, Gay men in Ivory Coast attacked for showing support to Orlando victims: rights group, 29 June 2016, url; Le
Monde, « Orlando : des homosexuels menacés en Côte d’Ivoire pour avoir participé à un hommage », 29 June 2016, url
723 Afrobarometer, Good neighbours? Africans express high levels of tolerance for many, but not for all, Dispatch No. 74, 1
March 2016, url
724 CNDHCI, Rapport Alternatif Sur La Situation Des Droits De L'homme En Côte d’Ivoire, September 2016, url
725 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017, Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url
726 Alternative CI, Changeons De Regard Envers Les Minorites Sexuelles, 27 March 2018, url
727 Alternative CI, Rapport alternatif sur le droit des personnes Lgbt en Côte d’Ivoire 2014- June 2018, E-mail, 27 December
2018.
728 Alternative CI, Changeons De Regard Envers Les Minorites Sexuelles, 27 March 2018, url
729 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017, Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url
730Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2018, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 March 2018, url; Alternative CI, ONG, Rapport alternatif
sur le droit des personnes Lgbt en Côte d’Ivoire 2014- June 2018,E-mail, 27 December 2018.
731 Alternative CI, Rapport alternatif sur le droit des personnes Lgbt en Côte d’Ivoire 2014- June 2018, E-mail, 27 December
2018.
732 UNAIDS, Data 2018, [2018], url
733 Alternative CI, Rapport alternatif sur le droit des personnes Lgbt en Côte d’Ivoire 2014- June 2018, E-mail, 27 December
2018.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 79

In October 2016, two gay men were arrested and jailed in a city in the southwest for reasons that are
not clear, but apparently for ‘public indecency’. Activists said ‘if indecency law was applied it wouldbe [the] first known instance of it being used to jail gay people’. The men were released three months
later. 734
LGBT people prefer to avoid presenting themselves in health centres for fear of being stigmatised byhealth services. 735 USAID reports that in 2017 ‘22 % of gay men and other men who have sex with men
reported avoiding health-care services due to stigma and discrimination.’ 736 Many health care centres
deny access to LGBT persons. 737
Côte d’Ivoire has made considerable improvements in controlling the HIV epidemic in the past ten
years. 738 According to UNAIDS DATA, there were an estimated 460 000 people living with HIV in Côte
d’Ivoire in 2016 739; in 2017 there were 500 000. 740 However, there is social resistance to treat
homosexuals affected with HIV; many doctors refuse to treat them. In 2014, only three clinics in
Abidjan were considered safe places where gay men with HIV could feel hopeful in seeking
treatment. 741 The Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, however, operated a program to help
population at high risk of contracting HIV, including men who have sex with men. 742

5.3 Women: violence, domestic violence, FGM/C, forced and earlymarriage
Côte d’Ivoire has ratified a number of international instruments enshrining the free exercise by
women of the fundamental rights of human beings, some of which are The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women(CEDAW), The Charter of the United Nations, etc. 743
At a national level, Article 6 of the Ivorian Constitution of 1960 states that the Republic guarantees
everyone equality before the law without distinction of origin, race, sex or religion. 744 The equality
principle is reaffirmed in Article 30 of the Constitution of 1 August 2000; Article 3 also prohibits any
form of torture or physical or psychological violence, injury or degradation. 745 The principle of genderequality is enshrined again in Articles 35, 36, 37 of the 2016 Constitution. 746
The principle of equality in the education field is laid down in Law No 2015-635 modifying law No 95696 of 7 September 1995. Law No 2013-35 of 25 January 2013 on marriage abolished the notion of‘head of the family’ in favour of co-management and the empowerment of women. 747

734 The Guardian, Ivory Coast officials refuse to explain why two gay men were jailed, 26 January 2017, url; Reuters, Jailingof gay Ivorian men stokes fears in LGBT safe haven, 22 March 2017, url
735 Alternative CI, Rapport alternatif sur le droit des personnes Lgbt en Côte d’Ivoire 2014- June 2018, E-mail, 27 December
2018.
736 UNAIDS DATA 2018, [2018], url
737 USAID, LGBT Health Care in Côte d’Ivoire: Finding a Voice in Social Media, December 2017, url
738 PEPFAR, Côte d’Ivoire Country Operational Plan (COP) 2017, Strategic Direction Summary, March 2017 url
739 UNAIDS DATA 2017, [July 2017], url
740UNAIDS DATA 2018, [2018] url
741 Independent Observer of the Global Fund, Resistance in Côte d’Ivoire to funding of programmes for men who have sex
with men, 21 January 2014, url
742 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017,Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url
743 UN Human Rights Committee, Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant, par.
131, 21 May 2013, url
744 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi Nº 60-356 Du 3 Novembre 1960 (1) Portant Constitution De La Republique, url
745 Côte d’Ivoire , Loi N°2000-513 du 1er AOÛT 2000 Portant Constitution De La Côte d’Ivoire, url.
746 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi n° 2016-886 du 8 novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la République de Côte d'Ivoire, url
747 CNDHCI, Rapport Alternatif Sur La Situation Des Droits De L'homme En Côte d’Ivoire, September 2016, url

80 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

Since 2011, Côte d’Ivoire made progress from an economic and political point of view, and also on theengagement of women in leading sectors. 748 Nonetheless, the female gender is still underrepresented in decision-making positions. 749 As the US Department of State in its 2017 report notes,
Ivorian laws do not limit the participation of women in the political process, but tradition and culture
have so far limited the role of women. 750 At the 2016 parliamentary elections, 27 female members
were elected out of 255 seats (10.9 %) 751; the female candidates at the elections were 166 against
1 170 men (12.4 %). 752 Eight women of the 66 current members (12.1 %) were elected for the Senate
in March 2018. 753
The 2018 statistical update of the United Nations states that Côte d’Ivoire ranked 155 out of 160
countries in the Gender Inequality Index for 2017. Women participating in the labour market were48.1 % compared to 66.2 % of men. Adult women who reached at least a secondary level of education
were 17.8 %, compared to 34.1 % of men. 754 According to a 2017 World Bank report, women are still
discriminated in the labour market, and on average are paid half of men’s salaries. This disparity canpartly be explained by differences in education level, but also by an unequal access to modern inputs
and equipment, business networks and financing; a heavy work burden on women plays a role aswell. 755 According to a 2018 study, 26 % of the surveyed households are headed by a woman. 756
The Ivorian law allows women to purchase land, but in practice this right is exercised only by women
living in urban areas 757, while in rural areas the discriminatory customs and lack of knowledge of thelaws limit women to become landowners. 758
A recent joint study by the European Union and the Ivorian Ministry responsible for women on genderequality in the country is meant to guide the government policy on gender issues, in order to promotewomen empowerment and rights. 759
In November 2017, the Commission Nationale des Droits de l’Homme de Côte d’Ivoire (CNDHCI)
started a campaign in Bouaké (capital of Gbêkê region) in order to raise awareness amongst the
population on violence against women. Gbêkê region, which receives many complaints by women, isleading the fight towards violence against women. The President of CNDHCI invited victims andwitnesses of violence to address its local offices which are available to help women and make known
the mechanisms of protection of rights of all the peoples. 760

5.3.1 Sexual violence
The crisis of 2010-2011 brought about 3 000 deaths and the rape of more than 150 women. 761 Usually,
perpetrators were men (or youth) in arms but also individuals not affiliated with armed groups were

748 International Alert, Côte d’Ivoire election: Gender parity is possible, but it needs political will , n.d., url

749 Portail Officiel du Government de Côte d’Ivoire, Promotion De La Femme : La Ministre Mariatou Kone Propose Un Avant

Projet De Loi Sur La Parité Du Genre Dans Les Assemblées Elues, 2 August 2017, url
750 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017, Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url
751 Inter-Parliamentary Union, Côte d’Ivoire, Assemblée nationale (National Assembly), General Information about theParliamentary Chamber, url
752 Inter-Parliamentary Union, Côte d’Ivoire, Assemblée nationale (National Assembly), last elections, url
753 Inter-Parliamentary Union, Côte d’Ivoire, Sénat (Senate), url
754 UNDP, Human Development Indicators and Indices: 2018 Statistical Update Team, Côte d’Ivoire, url
755 The World Bank, Are Women the Key to Unlocking Economic Emergence in Côte d’Ivoire? Key Messages, 24 July 2017, url
756 Bymolt, R., et al., Demystifying the cocoa sector in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, 2018, url, p. 24.
757 AFC, Agence Francaise de Development, Profil Genre Côte d’Ivoire, Dernière modification le 14/12/2016, url
758 AFC, Agence Francaise de Development, Profil Genre Côte d’Ivoire, Dernière modification le 14/12/2016, url; Social
Institutions and Gender Index, Côte d’Ivoire, n.d., url
759 Portail Officiel du Government de Côte d’Ivoire, Égalité Du Genre: Le Gouvernement Résolu À Promouvoir Les Droits
Économiques Et Sociaux Des Femmes, 13 April 2018, url
760 Abidjan.net, La CNDHCI appelle à l’amplification de la sensibilisation contre les violences faites aux femmes, 30 November
2017, url
761 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence, 20 April 2016, S/2016/361, url;CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 81

involved. 762 The Security Council report provides a list of political parties credibly suspected of being
responsible for rape or other forms of sexual violence in situation of armed conflicts. The parties
named for Côte d’Ivoire are the Forces Républicaines de Côte d'Ivoire [Republican Forces of Côte
d’Ivoire] (FRCI) (since 2016 called FACI) and several former militia groups, such as the Alliancepatriotique de l’ethnie Wè, the Front pour la libération du Grand Ouest, the Mouvement ivoirien delibération de l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire and the Union patriotique de résistance du Grand Ouest. 763
Despite the calm and stabilisation of institutions after the end of hostility in 2011, rapes committed
mainly by private individuals continue at an alarming rate. The Division des droits de l’homme [Divisionof Human Rights] (DDH) of the UNOCI documented 1 129 rape cases on 1 146 victims between January
2012 and December 2015; most of the victims were women and girls, no adult men, and 12 boys.
More than 93 % of the total numbers of perpetrators of rape during this period were private persons
with no function in the Ivorian State, while 7 % were state agents. 764
The United Nations verified 381 rape cases during 2013. 765
In 2014, UNOCI documented 325 cases of rape. 766 In 2015, women and girls continued to suffer fromdiffuse sexual and gender-based violence. UNOCI documented 176 cases of rape. 767 From January to
December 2016, UNOCI recorded 62 cases of rape; it verified 7 cases of sexual violence committed by
FACI soldiers. 768
The final report of the Secretary-General on the UNOCI, issued in January 2017, stated that sexual andgender-based violence and violence against minors were persistent. However, cases of sexual andgender-based violence have gradually decreased. 769
In 2017, not having received accusations of sexual violence committed by Ivorian security forces, theUnited Nations removed the Forces Armées de Côte d’Ivoire from the Security Council list. 770
The commitment of the UNOCI and UN partners to address the issue with the Ivorian military,communities and schools was of significant importance. On 3 June 2016, President Ouattara signed
Decree 2016-273, authorising the creation of a National Committee on CRSV which would coordinate
the government’s efforts to combat conflict-related sexual violence. 771 In June 2017, the Committee
adopted an act, signed by FACI Chief of Staff, the General Directors of key ministries, the Superior
Commander of the Gendarmerie Nationale, the Prosecutor of the First Instance Tribunal of Abidjan,
committing to fight acts of conflict-related sexual violence. 772 Although the government gave generalcompensations within the framework of transitional justice, it delivered no specific reparations incases of sexual violence. 773

FIDH, Les victimes oubliées de la Côte d’Ivoire, 7 March 2018, url
762 CMI-WANEP, Côte d’Ivoire Gender-Based Violence, Conflicts, And The Political Transition, A Case Study Report, February
2013, url
763 UN Security Council, Conflict-related sexual violence Report of the Secretary-General, 13 March 2014, S/2014/181,
url
764 ONUCI, HCDH, Rapport Sur Les Viols Et Leur Repression En Côte d’Ivoire, July 2016, url
765 UN Security Council, Conflict-related sexual violence Report of the Secretary-General, 13 March 2014, S/2014/181, url
766 UN Security Council Conflict-related sexual violence, Report of the Secretary-General, 23 March 2015, S/2015/203,url
767 Un Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence, 20 April 2016, S/2016/361, url
768 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence, 15 April 2017, S/2017/249, url
769 UN Security Council, Final progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire,
S/2017/89, 31 January 2017, url
770 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence, S/2018/250, 16 April 2018, url
771 UN Security Council, Final progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire,
S/2017/89, 31 January 2017, url; UNDP, UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict August 2014-December 2016 url , p. 8
772 UNDP, Ninth Consolidated Annual Progress Report on Activities Implemented under the UN Action Against Sexual
Violence in Conflict Fund Report of the Administrative Agent of the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict Fund forthe period 1 January –31 December 2017, url
773 UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence, S/2018/250, 16 April 2018, url82 —CÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT

According to data collected by DDH, investigations during the period 2012-2015 were initiated in 1 012
cases, 18 % of which were subject to judgment, but only after rape was reclassified in indecent assault
and other offenses, and submitted to a correctional court instead of a court for criminal matters. 774
In 2017, social stigma and diffuse impunity prevented many victims from reporting abuses. There weresome trials and convictions for rape, but many sexual assaults were reclassified as lesser offenses orsettled out of court. 775
In 2017, the Ministry of Justice issued two circulars inviting judicial authorities to avoid reclassifying
rape as a lesser crime and reminding the law enforcement that medical certificates are not mandatory
for rape victims to lodge a legal complaint. 776 In fact, in many cases these were requested as
fundamental evidence.777 Their cost varies from CFA 30 000 to 50 000 (about EUR 45 and 75) a sum
out of reach for the majority of the victims. 778
Of the 500 000 people living with HIV in Côte d’Ivoire in 2017, 270 000 were women over 15 years ofage. 779 The armed conflict since 2002 and the continuous insecurity contributed to a high prevalenceof HIV in the country, especially among women in the western area of the Liberian border; many ofthem were infected as a consequence of sexual violence during the conflict 780, others after becoming
sex workers to flee the extreme poverty.781 The Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene in 2017 ran a
program to help part of the population at risk of contracting HIV, including sex workers. 782
The Pavvios centre (prévention et d’assistance aux victimes de violences sexuelles) located in Man, set
up in 2008 by the UNDP and under the institutional authority of the Ministry of Solidarity, of Women,
and Child Protection, helped to improve the socio-economic conditions of women affected by the war
in the western Montagnes Department. 783

5.3.2 Domestic violence
Article 345 of Law No 1981-640 of 31 July 1981, instituting the Penal Code, modified by Law No 1995522 of July 1995, states that ‘Anyone who voluntarily beats or injures or commits any other violenceor assault is punished…’ When wounds cause death, the penalty is imprisonment of five to twenty
years; for minor damages, less imprisonment years and various fines are foreseen. Article 354 statesthat ‘Rape is punishable by imprisonment of five to twenty years.’ 784 However, it does not mention
marital rape. 785 Article 356 provides for imprisonment of one to three years and a fine for sexual
harassment. 786 There is no specific law on domestic violence in Côte d’Ivoire. 787 Article 346 of the
Criminal Code concerning aggravating circumstances does not contain any provision for cases of
774 ONUCI, HCDH, Rapport Sur Les Viols Et Leur Repression En Côte d’Ivoire, July 2016, url
775 HRW, Côte d’Ivoire, Events of 2017, url

776 UNDP, Ninth Consolidated Annual Progress Report on Activities Implemented under the UN Action Against Sexual

Violence in Conflict Fund Report of the Administrative Agent of the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict Fund forthe period 1 January –31 December 2017, url
777 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017, Côte d'Ivoire,20 April 2018, url; ONUCI, HCDH,
Rapport Sur Les Viols Et Leur Repression En Côte d’Ivoire, July 2016, url
778 ONUCI, HCDH, Rapport Sur Les Viols Et Leur Repression En Côte d’Ivoire, July 2016, url
779 UNAIDS, Data 2018, [2018], url
780 Aidspan, On the border between Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia, a challenge in supporting HIV-positive women, 18 September
2014, url
781 Aidspan, On the border between Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia, a challenge in supporting HIV-positive women, 18 September
2014, url; Namey, E. et al., Understanding the financial lives of female sex workers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 2018, url, 30:
sup 3, 6-17
782 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017,Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url
783 PNUD en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan. Egalité des sexes en Côte d’Ivoire – Rôle du PNUD 2010-2017, July 2017, url
784 Côte d’Ivoire , Code Penal, A LOI N° 81-640 Du 31 Juillet 1981 Instituant Le Code Penal, url
785 UN Human Rights Committee, Concluding observations on the initial report of Côte d’Ivoire*, 28 April 2015, url
786 Côte d’Ivoire , Code Penal, A LOI N° 81-640 DU 31 Juillet 1981 Instituant Le Code Penal, url
787USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017,Côte d'Ivoire, url; Canada, IRB, Côte d’Ivoire: domestic
violence, including legislation, state protection and available support services (2012-December 2015) [CIV105345.FE], urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 83

domestic violence. 788 The only provisions that can be invoked for this type of violence are the generalprovisions on assault in the Criminal Code. 789
Still, domestic violence is a widespread and serious problem 790; among all forms of violence against
women, conjugal violence is the most common. 791 There are no official data on domestic violence;
however, a survey carried out in ten communes of Abidjan by the Association ivorienne pour la défense
des droits de la femme [Ivorian Association for the Defense of Women] (AIDF) showed in 2017 that
70 % of women are victims of domestic violence. 792 The coordinator of the ‘Case de la paix’ in Abobo
reported during a meeting with WANEP-CI (West Africa Network for Peacebuilding), held in December
2017, that cases of domestic violence are the highest in number. 793 There is a total silence around thiskind of violence 794; women rarely report it because of cultural reasons 795 and because of police
tending to ignore women who report it. 796
Data collected in the Enquête à Indicateurs Multiples 2016 on the situation of women and children in
Côte d’Ivoire, show that the percentage of women who declare that their husbands have the right to
hit or beat them for certain reasons is 41.1 %; the percentage of men who declare the same is23.5 %. 797
Perpetrators are rarely prosecuted. 798 In 2017, the Ministry of Women, Child Protection and Social
Affairs assisted women victims of domestic violence and rape, including advice service at centres
operated by the government. 799
The Pavvios centres (prévention et d’assistance aux victimes de violences sexuelles) located in
Attecoubé (in Abidjan) and in Man, set up in 2008 by the UNDP and under the institutional authorityof the Ministry of Solidarity, Women, and Child Protection, are centres of excellence in the fight to thegender-based violence. Their mission, in particular, is to help victims of violence from 2 to 35 years ofage, from a psychological, medical, security and legal point of view. 800 The Pavvios centre in Attecoubé
offers accommodation for a maximum of 3 days. 801

788 UN Human Rights Committee, Concluding observations on the initial report of Côte d’Ivoire*, 28 April 2015, url

789 UN Human Rights Committee, Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant, par.

131, 21 May 2013, url
790 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017,Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url; RFI, Violences
faites aux femmes: l'ONU Femme brise le silence à Abidjan, 11 November 2015, url
791 RFI, Violences faites aux femmes: l'ONU Femme brise le silence à Abidjan, 11 November 2015, url; UN Human Rights
Committee, Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant, par. 131, 21 May 2013,
url; PNUD en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan. Egalité des sexes en Côte d’Ivoire – Rôle du PNUD 2010-2017, July 2017, url
792 CODAP, Violences sexuelles et conjugales faites aux femmes et aux filles : quel regard porté sur la société ivoirienne ?, 8
March 2018, url.
793 Abidjan.net, Violences basées sur le genre : plus de 300 cas de violences conjugales à Abobo (WANEP-CI), 14 December
2017, url
794 RFI, Violences faites aux femmes: l'ONU Femme brise le silence à Abidjan, 11 November 2015, url
795 United States, USDOS (US Department of States) Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017,Côte d'Ivoire, 20
April 2018, url
796 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017,Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url; IRB, Côte
d’Ivoire: domestic violence, including legislation, state protection and available support services (2012-December 2015)[CIV105345.FE], 10 December 2015 url
797 Ministère du Plan et du Développement - Côte d’Ivoire, La Situation Des Femmes Et Des Enfants En Côte d’Ivoire, enquête
à Indicateurs Multiples 2016 - Mics5, url
798RFI, Violences faites aux femmes: l'ONU Femme brise le silence à Abidjan; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2018,
Côte d’Ivoire, 28 March 2018, url
799 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017,Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url)
800 PNUD en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan. Egalité des sexes en Côte d’Ivoire – Rôle du PNUD 2010-2017, July 2017. url
801 Lea Paccaud (UNWOMEN), Abidjan. Le Centre intégré PAVVIOS, 08.12.2016, url

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5.3.3 Forced and early marriage
In 1995, Côte d’Ivoire acceded to the Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage
and Registration of Marriages of 1962 (which entered into force in 1964). 802
Law No 64-375 of 7 October 1964, modified by Law No 83-800 of 2 August 1983, inserted in the Civil
Code, provides that a man must be twenty years old and a woman eighteen years old to contract
marriage; minors cannot marry without the consent of their father and mother who exercise the rightsof paternal power. 803 The age of majority in Côte d’Ivoire is set at 21. 804
Article 378 of the Ivorian Penal Code, as modified by Law No 98-756 of 23 December 1998, states that
one who forces a person under the age of 18 to enter into a customary or religious marital union ispunished by imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of CFA 360 000 to 1 000 000 (About EUR 550
and 1 520). 805
The Ivorian Penal Code does not contain provisions prohibiting levirate, sororate marriages 806 anddiscriminatory inheritance rights; the revision to include these issues is still ongoing. 807 Both levirate
and sororate marriages were still practiced in 2017. 808 However, courts do rule in favour of women
who oppose these practices. Women can inherit from their husband under the succession law. 809
In the Enquête à Indicateurs Multiples 2016 – MICS 5, it is reported that 7.7 % of women, aged 15 to49, were in a union for the first time before the age of 15, and 32.1 % of women aged 20 to 49 before
the age of 18. It also indicates that the prevalence of early marriages in rural areas is higher than inurban areas and among the poorest and less educated strata of the population. The Gur ethnic grouppresents the highest percentage of women married before the age of 18 (43.2 %), followed bySouthern Mandé (38.3 %), Northern Mandé (31.6 %), Krou (27.6 %), while the Akan has the lowest(20.2 %). 810 The previous Enquête Démographique et de Santé et à Indicateurs Multiples 2011-2012
reported that 12 % of women aged 25-49 had got married before the age of 15 and 36 % before theage of 18. 811
Despite the joint efforts of the Ivorian Government, the UN system and the civil society to end theincidence of forced marriages, these still exist. 812

802 United Nations Treaty Collection, Convention on consent to marriage, minimum age for marriage and registration of

marriages, 10 December 1962, url
803 Côte d’Ivoire , Loi n° 64-375 du 7 Octobre 1964, relative au marriage, modifiee par la loi n° 83-800 du 2 Aout 1983, Chap.1 :Des conditions requises pour pouvoir contracter mariage url
804 Côte d’Ivoire, Le Code Civil, Livre premier, des personnes, Titre XI, chap. 1 : De la majorite, art. 448. url; Buzz d’ Abidjan,
18 ou 21 ans, à quel âge est-on majeur en Côte d’Ivoire ?, 28 August 2017, url
805 Côte d’Ivoire , Code Penal, LOI N° 81-640 Du 31 Juillet 1981 Instituant Le Code Penal, url
806 Levirate is the custom or law decreeing that a widow should, or in rare cases must, marry her dead husband’s brother.
Encyclopaedia Brittannica, Levirate, n.d. url; Sororate is the custom or law decreeing that a widower should, or in rare cases
must, marry his deceased wife’s sister. Encyclopaedia Brittannica, Sororate, n.d., url
807 UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Fourth periodic report submitted by Côte
d’Ivoire under article 18 of the Convention, due in2015*, 11 July 2018, CEDAW/C/CIV/4, url, p. 35
808 United States, USDOS, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017,Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url
809 UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Fourth periodic report submitted by Côte
d’Ivoire under article 18 of the Convention, due in2015*, 11 July 2018, CEDAW/C/CIV/4, url, p. 35
810 Ministère du Plan et du Développement - Côte d’Ivoire, La Situation Des Femmes Et Des Enfants En Côte d’Ivoire, enquête
à Indicateurs Multiples 2016 - Mics5, tableau CP.7, url
811 INS, Côte d’Ivoire, Enquête Démographique et de Santé et à Indicateurs Multiples EDS-MICS 2011-2012, url, p. 62
812 Agence française de développement (AFD), Profil genre Côte d’Ivoire, 14 December 2016, url; Fraternité matin, Mariage
forcé: 40% des filles mariées avant l’âge de 18 ans en Côte d’Ivoire, 29 November 2017 , url;Commission africaine des droits
de l’homme et des peuples (CADHP), Observations conclusives et Recommandations relatives au Rapport périodique de laRépublique de Côte d’Ivoire sur la mise en œuvre de la Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples (2012 -2015),
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There are no exact figures on the prevalence of forced marriages. During the period from April 2016
to January 2017, UNOCI documented two forced marriages. 813 In June 2017, the executive director of
the AIBEF (Association ivoirienne pour le bien-être familial) called the practice of forced marriages inCôte d’Ivoire ‘alarming’ and stated that ‘most girls of childbearing age are forced into marriage’. 814
According to the NGO Girls not Brides, ‘many girls are obliged to marry when they become pregnant,to mitigate the shame.’ In 2016, 4 471 cases of adolescent pregnancy were recorded, of which 1 153
girls were aged 9-14. 815
Women refusing forced marriage may suffer from social pressure; family pressure could include being
disinherited, chased away, and, in worst cases, killed. Women forced into a marriage can resort toState social services, police and gendarmerie. They very rarely resort to the court system, preferring
to rely on social services to attempt mediation with their families. 816 The Muslim NGO ‘Fondation
Djigui’, which fights against HIV and violence against women, offers such a mediation service. 817 Most
cases of child marriage are indeed managed by social centres, which are often coordinated with the‘centre d’accueil’, and provide a number of services. Nevertheless, the government does not provide
them with sufficient funds, according to Save the Children. 818
The State carried out a national strategy to end early marriage through campaigns to raiseawareness. 819 Students were urged to report attempts to force a girl into a marriage, being it at homeor at school, to the police, the school administration, and the social centres. 820 In 2014, for the firsttime, a man was condemned to one year in prison and to a fine of CFA 360 000 for marrying his 11year-old daughter off to an older cousin. 821 Law enforcement on child marriage is often weak. 822 A
national campaign against early marriage was launched in Abidjan in December 2017. 823

5.3.4 Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)
Legal provisions
Côte d’Ivoire signed and ratified various international conventions containing provisions to eliminate
harmful traditional practices such as FGM/C - such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC),
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), theDeclaration and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Children. Côte d’Ivoire also ratified
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which also condemns the practice of
FGM/C, and the Maputo Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa adopted in 2003 by the African
Union. 824
The 5th article of the Constitution forbids ‘les mutilations génitales féminines’ (FGM). 825 In 1998, Côte
d’Ivoire adopted a national law (98/757, 23.12.1998) prohibiting and punishing FGM/C. Article 2 of
813 UN Security Council, Final progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, 31

January 2017, S/2017/89, url.

814 AIP, Côte d’Ivoire / L’AIBEF dénonce la pratique du mariage forcé en Côte d’Ivoire, 23 June 2017, url
815 Girls not Brides, Côte d’Ivoire, n.d. [2018], url

816 Canada, IRB, Côte d’Ivoire: Forced marriage, including among the Malinke; the prevalence of forced marriage and state

protection available; the possibility for a young woman to refuse the man arranged for her (2014-March 2016), 24 March
2016, url
817 Belgium, CGRS-CEDOCA: COI Focus; Côte d’Ivoire, Le mariage forcé, 25 October 2018, url
818 Save the Children, Child Marriage in Côte d'Ivoire, n.d, url
819 UN Human Rights Council, National report submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to Human Rights
Council resolution 16/21*, Côte d’Ivoire, 3 February 2014 , A/HRC/WG.6/19/CIV/1, url
820 Fraternité matin, Mariage forcé: 40% des filles mariées avant l’âge de 18 ans en Côte d’Ivoire, 29 November 2017, url
821 France24, En Côte d'Ivoire, un père jugé pour avoir marié sa fille de 11 ans, 29 October 2014, url; Afriknow, Journée contre
les violences faites aux femmes: premier procès pour mariage précoce en Côte d’Ivoire, 25 November 2014, url
822 Save the Children, Child Marriage in Côte d'Ivoire, n.d, url
823 AIP, La Côte d’Ivoire en campagne contre les mariages précoces des enfants, 6 December 2017, url
824 UNICEF Côte d’Ivoire, APRIL 2007 ,FACT SHEET Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, url
825 Côte d’Ivoire , Loi n° 2016-886 du 8 novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la République de Côte d'Ivoire, url, art. 5

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the Law stipulates that whoever commits a female genital mutilation is liable to imprisonment from 1
to 5 years and a fine from CFA 360 000 to 2 000 000 ( about EUR 550 and 3 060). The penalty is from
5 to 20 years if the victim dies of related consequences. 826 In 2000, the Ivorian State created a National
Committee within the Ministry of Family and Social Affairs in order to fight violence against womenand children. The Committee implemented an Action Plan for Women 2003-2007 to protect womenand children from violence. 827
In 2013, the Government launched the Tolérance zéro aux MGF campaign, and initiated actions aimed
at reinforcing the application of Law No 98-757 of 23 December 1998 on FGM, in support of legal
professionals and prefectural authorities work. 828
The 2011-2012 Enquête Démographique et de Santé et à Indicateurs Multiples indicates that 38 % of
the women aged 15-49 declared to have been excised and 11 % of girls aged 0-14. Nearly all women,
97 % of the daughters and 95 % of the mothers, were excised by a traditional (nearly all female)practitioner. The most prevalent form of FGM/C in the country is ‘flesh removed’. 829 As of 2016,
according to MICS, 36.7 % of the women aged 15-49 years had undergone some kind of FGM/C in Côte
d'Ivoire; 10.9 % of the girls aged 0-14 years had been subjected to FGM/C. 830
The percentage of women who underwent FGM/C is higher in the north-west, north and west regions.
It is more widespread in rural rather than in urban areas. Prevalence is higher among Muslim
population and among poorest and less educated people. The Northern Mandé ethnic group shows
the highest percentage of excised women (60.7 %), followed by the Gur (59.1 %), the Southern Mandé(43 %), the Krou (14.1 %), while the Akan has the lowest one (2.7 %). Non-Ivorian ethnic groups have
58 % of excised women, other Ivorian groups 53 %. 831

Reasons justifying FGM
UNICEF indicates four main reasons for justifying FGM/C in Côte d'Ivoire, namely: it is a way to test
the courage and endurance of young girls, it is a guarantee for the wife’s faithfulness, a ritual of
purification and social integration, and it is seen as a religious requirement. 832 However, while FGM/C
prevalence is highest among Muslim population, it is to be noted that Imam Cissé Djiguiba, Presidentof the NGO Fondation Djigui, which fights violence against women, is a most vocal opponent of
excision. 833 He states that female excision is not even mentioned in the Koran, that FGM/C is a practicelinked to the tradition and it is not to be attributed to any religion. He also urges to have courage todenounce it. 834
The APDH declared that usually the grandmother is in charge of ensuring the girl’s excision, but in caseof absence of a grandmother, the most powerful woman in the family is charged, such as an aunt,
both from mother or father side. 835 This is corroborated by a report by the Office français deprotection des réfugiés et apatrides (OFPRA), stating that the father usually is not involved in the

826 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi n° 98-757 du 23 décembre 1998 portant répression de certaines formes de violence à l'égard desfemmes, url
827 France, OFPRA, Les mutilations génitales féminines (MGF) en Côte d’Ivoire, 21 February 2017, url
828 Abidjan.net, « Tolérance zéro » face aux MGF en Côte d’Ivoire (Dossier), 6 February 2018, url
829 INS, Côte d’Ivoire, Enquête Démographique et de Santé et à Indicateurs Multiples EDS-MICS 2011-2012, Rapport desynthèse, url
830 Ministère du Plan et du Développement - Côte d’Ivoire, La Situation Des Femmes Et Des Enfants En Côte d’Ivoire, enquête
à Indicateurs Multiples 2016 - Mics5, url
831 Ministère du Plan et du Développement - Côte d’Ivoire, La Situation Des Femmes Et Des Enfants En Côte d’Ivoire, enquête
à Indicateurs Multiples 2016 - Mics5, url
832 UNICEF Côte d’Ivoire ,Fact Sheet Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, April 2007, url,
833 Fondation Djigui, Missions et Objectifs, n.d. url
834 AIP Tolérance zéro face aux MGF en Côte d’Ivoire (Dossier), 6 February 2018, url
835 APDH, email with SEM, 7 February 2018.

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decision-making and only is informed about his daughter’s FGM/C in case of difficulties or medical
complications. 836
According to MICS 2016, 79.4 % of Ivorian women aged 15-49 years think that the practice of FGM/C
should end. 837 UNICEF indicates this percentage at 82 %; it also indicates 82 % of boys and men aged
15 to 49 years think the practice should end. 838 Nonetheless, the social pressure remains strong.
Refusing the excision in a community where the prevalence is strong can bring stigmatization and lossof social status. 839

Enforcement of the law
In 2012, for the first time a conviction was issued on FGM; nine women in Katiola were sentenced to
one year in prison and to a fine of CFA 50 000 [about EUR 75] for the excision of about thirty girls; fourof them were convicted for FGM/C and four for complicity. In the past, according to a representativeof the UNFPA, there were cases of arrests of women who performed excisions, but these cases neverresulted in judgments and convictions. 840
Some other cases of conviction and fines for performing excision were reported, for example in 2013
in the western region of Tonkpi. 841
In 2015, the mother of an excised girl was convicted in Katiola to one year in prison and a fine of
CFA 360 000 [approximately EUR 550] for ‘complicity in excision’ and so was a relative who had
accompanied her to an ‘exciseuse’. The prosecutor Hamed Diomandé stated that it was the second
time they had condemned exciseuses, but the phenomenon was persistent. 842

NGO’s activities and state protection
Several local associations in the country, mainly in the northern and western regions and in Abidjan,
operate in the field to fight against FGM, supported by international organisations such as UNICEF and
UNOCI. Some of them are the Organisation Nationale pour l’enfant, la femme et la famille (ONEF), theabove-mentioned Fondation Djigui la Grande Espèrance, l’Association ivoirenne pour la defense desdroits des femmes (AIDF), l’Association de femmes juristes de Côte d’Ivoire (AFJCI). 843
The APDH declared that the two centres Akwaba and Pavvios located in Attecoubé (in Abidjan), help
girls in difficulty, including but not specifically, girl victims of FGM. 844
The activities by the state and the NGOs operating in the country to fight FGM/C seem to becomplementary, but according to an OFPRA report of a mission to Côte d’Ivoire in 2012, all observers
agree that the state is a minor player in the fight against FGM. 845
During the 2017 World Day against Female Genital Mutilation, the Minister for Women, Child
Protection and Solidarity, Mariatou Koné, reaffirmed the government’s will to fight the practice of

836 France, OFPRA, Les mutilations génitales féminines (MGF) en Côte d’Ivoire, 21 February 2017, url, p. 8

837 Ministère du Plan et du Développement - Côte d’Ivoire, La Situation Des Femmes Et Des Enfants En Côte d’Ivoire, enquête

à Indicateurs Multiples 2016 - Mics5, Tableau CP.12,url
838 UNICEF, Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Global Concern, 2016, url
839 France, OFPRA, Les mutilations génitales féminines (MGF)en Côte d’Ivoire, 21 February 2017, url; Canada, IRB, Côte
d’Ivoire: The practice of excision among the Malinke, including the frequency and age at which the excision is practiced;
whether it is customary for a young woman to be excised before marrying; legislation on excision; the possibility of refusing
excision and the consequences of such refusal; recourse available (2014-2016), CIV105478.FE, 24 March 2016,url
840 Le Monde Afrique, Côte d'Ivoire: pour la première fois, neuf femmes ont été condamnées pour excision, 19 July 2012, url
841 Abidjan.net, Quatre personnes condamnées pour pratique d’excision à Danané, 1 March 2013, url
842 Abidjan.net, Côte d’Ivoire : une mère condamnée à un an de prison ferme pour "complicité d’excision", url
843 France, OFPRA, Les mutilations génitales féminines (MGF) en Côte d’Ivoire, 21 February 2017, url, pp. 9-10
844 APDH, Abidjan, Email with SEM, of 7 February 2018.
845 France, OFPRA-CNDA, Rapport de mission en République de Côte d’Ivoire, 26 novembre au 7 décembre 2012, May 2013,
url, pp. 169-170 ; France, OFPRA, Les mutilations génitales féminines (MGF) en Côte d’Ivoire, 21 February 2017, url

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FGM. At the same time, this day gave the opportunity to recall that, despite the efforts made, thepractice of excision persists. 846
On 28 August 2018, the Ministry responsible for women gave four girls medical and psychologicalsupport, out of 14 girls who underwent excision in a camp in the south-eastern department of Adiaké.
The other 10 had gone back to their encampment. The Ministry condemned the excisions andpromised sanctions against the perpetrators and their accomplices. 847
The government successfully prosecuted some FGM/C cases both during 2016 and 2017. 848 In 2017, a
tribunal in the western Department of Zouan Hounien condemned a woman and her four brothers for
excision to three years of prison each; the woman was also condemned to a fine of CFA 500 000, andeach of the four men to a fine of CFA 170 000. 849

5.4 Trafficking in human beings
Human trafficking in West African countries has both a domestic and transnational aspect; victims
from West Africa arrive in Western Europe via the Balkans and Eastern Europe. 850
The central geographical position of Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa and the permeability of its borders
make it a country of origin, transit and destination of various kinds of illicit trafficking, including humantrafficking for forced labour and sexual exploitation. 851 As in the rest of the countries in the Gulf ofGuinea, forced labour mainly concerns children, and sexual exploitation mainly involves women andyoung girls. 852 The majority of identified victims of trafficking are children 853, but the fight againstinternal child trafficking may cause underreporting of prevalence of adult trafficking. 854
Article 5 of the 2016 amended Constitution of Côte d’Ivoire prohibits human trafficking. 855 In
December 2016, the government adopted Law No 2016-1111 on the Fight Against Trafficking in
Persons, which supplements the 2010 Prohibition of Traﬃcking and the Worst Forms of Child Labor
Law. The 2016 law criminalises labour and sex trafficking, and establishes penalties for offenders andprotection for victims; penalties range from 5-10 years imprisonment and a fine for adult trafficking,and from 20-30 years imprisonment and a fine for child trafficking. The penalty is more severe in caseof trafficking in minors under 18 years, with penalties ranging from 10-20 years and fines ranging from
10-20 million francs. 856 Article 2 of the 2016 law establishes a National Committee against trafficking
in persons 857, which was created in April 2017. It is in charge of trafficking prevention efforts, including
the implementation of the 2016-2020 anti-trafficking national action plan. 858

846 Portail Officiel du governement de Côte d’Ivoire, Les mutilations genitales feminines : le gouvernement ivoirien reaffirmesa volonte de lutter contre le phenomene, 6 February 2018, url
847 Portail Officiel du governement de Côte d’Ivoire, Protection sociale : le ministere de la femme prend en charge 4 filles
victimes de mutilations genitales, 2 September 2018, url
848 United States, USDOS, Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2016 - Côte d'Ivoire, 3 March 2017, url; USDOS Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017, Côte d'Ivoire, 20 April 2018, url
849 Koaci.com, Abidjan. Côte d'Ivoire: Zouan Hounien, Cinq membres d'une famille écopent de trois ans de prison ferme pourmutilation génitale, 17.07.2017, url
850 France Diplomatie, Fight against human trafficking, Updated: April 2017, url
851 UNODC, UNODC commits to supporting the Government of Côte d'Ivoire against transnational organized crime andterrorism, n.d., url
852 France Diplomatie, Fight against human trafficking, Updated: April 2017, url
853 USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url; Freedom House, Freedom in the World2017 - Côte d'Ivoire, 12 July 2017, url
854 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url
855 Côte d’Ivoire, LOI n° 2016-886 du 8 novembre 2016 portant Constitution de la République de Côte d'Ivoire, url
856 Côte d'Ivoire, Loi n°2010-272 du 30 septembre 2010 portant interdiction de la traite des pires formes de travail desenfants, url
857 Côte d’Ivoire, Loi n°2016-1111 du 8 décembre 2016, relative à la lutte contre la Traite des personnes, url
858 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url.

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In 2017 the government identified 57 victims of trafficking and 167 victims of child labour or childtrafficking. 859 In 2016, the identified trafficking victims reported were 106, and 62 were the potential
victims of trafficking, including children from other West African countries. 860
According to the US Department of State, the Ivorian Government did not fully meet the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking in 2017, but it showed increasing efforts compared to thepast. It convicted more traffickers, also under the new 2016 Law, and provided emergency shelters,for example orphanages or education centres, and assistance to some victims. However, funds
deployed for law enforcement and NGOs, main providers of assistance to victims, were not enough,and in many cases NGOs had to fund and provide care to victims. There was no institutionalised system
to identify adult trafficking victims and address them to care services. The government failed to
convoke the Committee. 861
In April 2018, the Children of Africa Foundation, presided over by First Lady Dominque Ouattara,
opened a children’s transit centre in the city of Soubré, the aim of which is to help children victims of
trafficking by providing them assistance and protection until they rejoin their families. A project of thefoundation entails the construction of two more centres in Ferkessédougou and Bouaké. 862
The government increased anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts, but due to the lack of a system tocollect and share data between ministries, these efforts were not fully optimised or reported. Data
collected from Abidjan and 33 departments showed 59 cases of investigation, 27 prosecutions ofsuspects and the conviction of 20 traffickers in 2017, with an increase from the previous year (35investigations, 19 prosecutions, eight convictions). Among the investigations reported by government
entities, 32 were on sex trafficking and 12 on labour trafficking, while for the remaining investigations
they did not report the types of trafficking. Convictions for traffickers under 2010 and 2016 antitrafficking laws and the criminal code included ‘trafficking, pimping, solicitation, exploitation ofminors, and the worst forms of child labor’. Sometimes judges convicted traffickers for two of theabove-said crimes. Convictions varied from two months to 11 years imprisonment; more than half ofthe convicted traffickers received at least five years imprisonment. 863
The 2010 law was the primary law used to prosecute child trafficking; penalties imposed for child sex
trafficking ranged from five to 20 years imprisonment and a fine, and child labour trafficking with 10
to 20 years imprisonment and a fine. 864

5.4.1 Trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation
Many women from five countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria) or more distantcountries are victims of sexual exploitation in cities along the trade corridor from Abidjan to Lagos orat the borders.865 Some Ivorian women and girls are exploited in sex trafficking. Nigerian traffickers
also exploit Nigerian women and girls in sex trafficking in Côte d’Ivoire. The Government did not show
attempts to reduce the demand for commercial sex. 866
Children from neighbouring countries are also trafficked in Côte d’Ivoire for sexual exploitation. 867

859 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url.
860 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url
861 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url
862 Fondation Children of Africa, n.d., url

863 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url
864 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url

865 UNODC, Stratégie régionale de lutte contre la traite des personnes et le trafic illicite de migrants 2015-2020, url
866 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url
867 United States, USDOL, Côte d'Ivoire, 2017 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, url

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5.4.2 Trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation
Some Ivorian women and girls are subjected to forced labour in domestic service and restaurants.
Traffickers, sometimes relatives of the victims, ‘bring girls from eastern Côte d’Ivoire and other West
African countries to Abidjan ostensibly to send them to school or to professional training but thensubject them to domestic servitude’. The country is also a source for men in forced labour. Some
members of the Ivorian community and some religious leaders also recruit women and girls for workin the Middle East and Europe, but they force them to work in North Africa and countries of the Gulf,
mainly Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Tunisia. 868
The majority of identified victims of trafficking are children 869; they are subjected to human trafficking
within Côte d’Ivoire, but they are also taken from Côte d’Ivoire for exploitation in other countries.
Children who are subjected to the worst forms of child labour in the harvesting of cocoa and coffee
have sometimes been trafficked. 870 Ivorian boys are forcedly working in the agricultural and service
industries, especially cocoa production. Boys from West African countries trafficked in Côte d’Ivoire
may be forced into labour in agriculture, mining, carpentry, construction, and begging. 871
In 2015, within a series of operations in cooperation with Interpol against child trafficking and labourin West Africa 872, Ivorian police arrested 22 alleged traffickers and exploiters and freed 48 child slavesin the country’s western cocoa plantations. The children, aged 5-16, came from Guinea, Mali, Burkina
Faso and Côte d’Ivoire. 873
The government made some efforts to reduce the demand for child labour and forced labour in thecocoa sector. 874

868 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url

869 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url
870 US DoL, Côte d'Ivoire, 2017 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, url

871 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, url ; US DoL, Côte d'Ivoire,2017 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor,url
872 IOM, L’OIM s’unit à Interpol pour combattre la traite des enfants en Côte-d’Ivoire et au Ghana, 26 June 2015, url
873 Reuters, Ivory Coast frees 48 child slaves, arrests traffickers, 23 June 2015, url
874 United States, USDOS, 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report , Tier 2, Côte d'Ivoire, 28 June 2018, urlCÔTE D’IVOIRE: COUNTRY FOCUS - EASO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT— 91

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Annex 2: Terms of Reference
Reference Period: Events last 2 years (September 2016-September 2018)
1. Historical background• From the death of Felix Houphouët-Boigny (7 December 1993) (including the concept of‘Ivoirité’)• Civil wars (2002-2003 – splitting of the country between rebel and loyalist zones and post
electoral crisis 2010-2011)
2. Security situation
2.1

Western Region (most affected regions)•Inter-ethnic conflicts related to land disputes•

Com-zones (including where are they now, what do we know about their recent
activities – official and non-official? How influent are they at the moment?

2.2

Abidjan (microbes)

3. Political situation
3.1
Political parties (overview, including list of existing parties, alliances, divisions, specificelectorate – ethnic group, region, …)•

Elections - Senate election process March 2018

3.2
Situation of Gbagbo supporters (including state of play of detention, fair trial, family
members, return to CI, high-profiles vs low profiles, …)
4. Ethnic groups•

Overview (including which groups are where, percentage of the population,
languages, …). [Conflicts involving specific ethnic groups are addressed in 2.1]

5. Human rights•

Introduction, including an overview of the general human rights situation in the
country

5.1 Specific issues
•

LGBTI

•

Women: GBV, including domestic violence, FGM/C, forced and early marriage•

Trafficking in human beings (for the purpose of sexual exploitation and labour
exploitation; M.O., organised crime; victims, …)146 —

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doi: 10.2847/055205