Oh, CNN

It seems as if the international media are finally paying attention to the Ivorian situation. It's sad that it took a massacre of 800+ in Duekoue to spark the attention, but beggars can't be choosers. What I do take issue with is CNN's research team. This article is cursory, poorly researched, and almost insulting to the struggle the Ivorians have been going though in this four-month long conflict. About the only thing they get right is why the international community doesn't care. Check out the article here: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/04/03/ivory.coast.explainer/index.html?hpt=C1

 

 

 

 

Young Patriot. Photo from Abidjan.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plea from My Team

This is a translation of a plea from one of our team members in Abidjan. As background, the individual who wrote this email is a confident, classy, savvy guy. Reading this email makes me BEYOND nervous about the situation. The tone is absolute terror. Mind you, this is a guy who works with some serious baddies to help bring peace and he is nervous. He has a wife and a two-year-old baby girl and they are afraid to leave their homes. Please write to your representatives to help the people in Ivory Coast.

"The news isn't good here. Things are rapidly declining toward the worst and the members of the RHDP [coalition party of the elected President and others that are against Ggagbo's party] do not seem to have any solutions. They seem like they are submitting to the UN and ECOWAS who have been lost since the summits and meetings that Laurent Gbagbo killed. Our neighborhood has become very dangerous and I do not know how everything will progress. I think, then, that I would like to evacuate my family to any place possible. Imam Kone came to inform me that his nephew, another imam, saw all of his family (6 people) decimated by Gbagbo's drug-crazed followers in Williamsville. We no longer know to which saint to pray. Last night my neighborhood was bombarded by heavy fire from 3:00 a.m. until 4:30 a.m. In the morning, we saw three bodies with a multitude of injuries. I am so paralyzed with fear that I barely use my computer.

It is imperative that the international community intervenes rapidly in order to defend civilians. The UN continues to be powerless in their assistance to end the killing of the Ivorian people. Today, there are more than 500 dead and the population has begun to plead in earnest to ONUCI and president elect Alassane Ouattara who, according to the population, has let Gbagbo kill the people who voted for him. We are truly close to chaos in Abidjan. How long must we wait for ONUCI to intervene? What about the international community? Does everyone from the north or from the center of the country need to be exterminated before the international community intervenes, like in Rwanda? Why don't the United States and France decide to stop this genocide which is the process of unraveling in front of their eyes?

This is an SOS to the international community for the protection of the innocent civilians who did nothing but vote. Why the double standard? Why Libya and not Côte d'Ivoire? May God watch over the poor innocents that we are."

Violence Escalates

Ivorian refugees in Liberia. Photo credit: UNHCR

Yesterday, female Ouattara supporters staged a march protesting Gbagbo's refusal to step down from power. Female marches are not uncommon in CI and are often seen, according to France24, as a last resort against an army who will not back down. In response to the march, Gbagbo's forces sent out tanks and fired about the 1000's of women who were in the crowd. At least 7 women were killed. There are now hundreds of thousands of internally and externally displaced people in Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia. To add insult to injury, there is now an embargo on medications from the EU (thanks a lot, guys) so the health professionals are also protesting. It's going to take years for the region to recover from this situation.

However, big shout out to Angelina Jolie for trying to call attention to the CI problem. As Amy pointed out, at least her statement also talked about Libya so that more news outlets would pick it up.

One piece of stock advice: buy shares in cocoa now. It's at a 32 year high. Also, coffee might be a good idea as well. Just throwing that out there.

From Bad to Worse

As the world watches Libya and their crazy leader self-destruct, few are paying attention to Côte d'Ivoire. Over the past 24 hours, pro-Gbagbo (loser of the presidential election who won't step down) fired upon UN arms inspectors in the political capital of Yamoussoukro. There has been heavy artillery fire throughout much of the economic and de facto capital of Abidjan. Water and electricity have been cut to the entire north of the country, where the rebel forces are centered. Foreign and domestic news sources that are not tied to the pro-Gbagbo "government" have been forced to shut down, including the BBC and Radio France International. Text messaging, a major source of communication, has been suspended.

It's getting pretty scary. Much of what is happening is very reminiscent of Rwanda. I am very concerned. I emailed our former team members today and received responses back from a few of them. Granted, those in the North wouldn't be able to respond, but it's comforting to know that at least a few of the people I worked with are ok. My one wish is that the international community would pay more attention to this crisis. Amy and her colleague from grad school are starting a website to help the world pay more attention to crises in sub-Saharan Africa. It's too bad that it's not up and running already! Support africaprotestwatch.org!

Photo credit: abidjan.net

What a difference

It's crazy to think that a year ago I was busily preparing to head to CI. I was excited and nervous and did know what the trip would bring. The trip really and the people that I met along the way really changed my life. I am thankful for every moment I was able to spend there and feel lucky to have had that opportunity. I hope to one day go back and see all of the wonderful people that I met and hopefully experience the peace that they were so eager to achieve. A year sent CI from relative peace to chaos and I truly hope that they will find the peace that they deserve.

The team

CI still at a standstill

While North Africa is erupting in revolution and political change (first Tunisia, then Egypt, now my beloved Algeria), West African nations are still at a standstill. This article from Abidjan.net (still in French, but Google Translate works wonders), http://news.abidjan.net/h/391230.html?n=391230, is an interview with the spokesperson from the Independent Electoral Commission. In the interview he discusses his frustration that the rest of Africa is on its way to democracy and CI is stuck in a dictatorship. I agree. It is frustrating to see that after nearly 3 months Gbagbo is still illegally in power. The rest of the world seems to be losing interest. ECOWAS states are still involved, but all eyes have turned to MENA and what Tunisia and Egypt's success will mean for the rest of the region. Yes, oil prices will rise. But think what Valentine's Day look like when the coffee and cocoa prices rise exponentially as CI falls deeper and deeper into political turmoil. I want my latte, darn it! Even if it is mostly decaf :/

Mango

I had my first mango since CI today. Totally not the same. It would help to have a cup of Nescafé au lait and baguette with butter while sitting in an open air terrace with tropical breezes instead of sitting inside looking at snow. Alas.