A Discussion with the President-elect of the Ivory Coast via Teleconference   Panel
Channel: Center for Strategic & International Studies
Date: 2014-07-21

The CSIS Africa Program, in collaboration with the National Democratic Institute and the Open Society Foundation, hosted: A discussion with the President-elect of Cote d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara
 
Moderated by: Jennifer Cooke Director, CSIS Africa Program 
Followed by a panel discussion with: 
-Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and West Africa National Democratic Institute 
-Akwe Amosu, Director of African Advocacy Open Society Foundation
 
The political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire continues despite intense international efforts to negotiate a solution. The winner of November?s presidential election, Alassane Ouattara, has been prevented from taking office by the incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo. He, along with his government-in-waiting, is confined to Abidjan?s Golf Hotel, protected by a cordon of UN peacekeepers and effectively cut off from the outside world. CSIS established a telephone link with President Ouattara, which allowed him to address a public audience in the United States for the first time since the election standoff began. His comments were followed by a panel discussion including Akwe Amosu, Senior Policy Analyst for Africa at the Open Society Foundation, and Chris Fomunyoh, Senior Associate for Africa at the National Democratic Institute (NDI).