Côte d’Ivoire on the Brink of Civil War

Residents flee with their belongings after clashes erupted between forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo and rebels supporting Alassane Ouattara, in Abobo (from english.eastday.com)

With Laurent Gbagbo still refusing to step down, Côte d’Ivoire is in danger of slipping back into civil war.  Gbagbo forces have shot at UN peacekeepers and opened fire on women marching peacefully in support of Ouattara in Abidjan. At least six were killed in the incident.

Reporting from Abidjan, BBC journalist Pauline Bax says Ivorians are fearful that they are on the brink of another civil war. While large-scale violence did not reach Abidjan during the last civil war, fighting is making some neighborhoods nearly uninhabitable, especially Abobo. Mostly controlled by pro-Ouattara insurgents, who local press are calling “invisible commandos,’ Abobo has seen the heaviest violence. Listen to her report here.

As violence rises, Gbagbo has cut off power and water supplies from the north of the country; a stronghold of rebel Forces Nouvelles (FN) and presently a strong base of support for Alassane Ouattara.

On Monday, “Officials of Gbagbo’s government, accompanied by armed men, went to the electricity distribution centre in the commercial capital Abidjan on 28 February and cut power to the centre, north and west regions under FN control,” IRIN reports. Electricity was also shut down for three weeks during the height of fighting during the civil war which lasted from 2002 – 2004. Despite the context, a Gbagbo spokesperson said the outages “are technical problems and rationing problems that have nothing to do with politics.” However, UN Official, Ndolamb Ngokwey told the BBC that “the statement of the electricity company (says) this energy shortage is not due to technical issues. They clearly said it has to do with the political situation, so it was cut for political reasons.”

The violence has ended broadcasting in many areas and the loss of power has forced some of our radio stations to go off grid. The need for moderate voices is still great as the New York Times reports that “xenophobic language airs nightly on the state television channel and from the mouths of government officials,” inciting further violence. An example of their message via Christian Science Monitor:

“France…” (cue photo of Nicolas Sarkozy)

“…and the UN,” (cut to shot of peacekeepers)

“…are allied with the rebels and have declared war on Ivory Coast,” (que video of rebel soldiers shooting)

“…murdering innocent Ivorians…” (show graphic images of mangled dead bodies)

“Now is the time to protect our country.” (play video of angry youths manning a barricade, armed with machetes)

Additionally, nine newspapers opposed to Gbagbo closed this week after constant threats and police harassment. Foreign media is also being restricted with international radio stations, including BBC and RFI, being taken off air. It is increasingly dangerous and difficult for dissent to find a voice. An estimated 200,000 people have already fled to neighboring countries and it seems less and less likely that a non-violent resolution will be achieved.

What do you think; is civil war inevitable?