Washington, DC — Following is a live blog from today's forum, "Côte d'Ivoire at the Crossroads: Implications for Democracy in Africa", sponsored by the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa and Howard University's Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center, in collaboration with Côte d'Ivoire Watch.
Panelists:
Dr. Harold Scott, Howard University
Ms. Bernadette Paolo, President and CEO of The Africa Society
Mr. David Bruce Wharton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State
His Excellency Daouda Diabaté, Ambassador to the United States from the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
Ms. Emira Woods, Co-Director, Foreign Policy in Focus, Institute for Policy Studies
Dr. Jeanne Maddox Toungara, the Department of History, Howard University
Mr. Serge Doh, representing Côte d'Ivoire Watch
Opening Remarks:
Ms. Paolo welcomed participants to the forum and provided opening remarks. Ms. Paolo emphasised that differences in opinion from the audience would be welcomed. Ms. Paolo requested particularly that if there were any Ivorians in the audience with opposing views that they should raise their hands following the completion of opening remarks and they will be welcomed to make their point.
Dr. Harold Scott of Howard University also provided opening remarks and welcomed the participants to the forum. He affirmed Howard University and The Ralph Bunche Center's interest and commitment to international events particularly as they relate to the African continent, and the African Diaspora.
Ms. Paolo described the "deplorable conditions" in The Ivory Coast following the elections of 2010 as "a dream deferred." Ms. Paolo stated that although that these elections were judged to be free and fair they have been ignored, the death toll is rising, and people are now fleeing to Liberia.
Honorable David Bruce Wharton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of African Affairs encouraged open dialogue at the forum and encouraged the audience to become part of the conversation. Mr. Wharton made clear the official US government position on The Ivory Coast: That this, is a "classic human dilemma, where a person who has been in power long time who simply cannot find a way to let go." Mr. Wharton stated it was important to note that The Ivory Coast had been planning a election since 2005, that President Gbagbo had agreed to the terms, but is now "unable to recognise what has happened around him".
Mr. Wharton stated further that the US does not have a candidate in the election and that "the electoral process" is their only candidate. He affirmed Mr. Ouattara as the credible, general choice of the people (winning 54% of the votes) and that the UN did a good job as well as many international bodies involved in the electoral process- despite some irregularities in some parts of the country. He further affirmed the electoral results as "a clear mandate" for Ouattara to assume power.
Mr. Wharton was keen to emphasise that "what matters is not US view , but the african view". He was happy with the strong response of Ivory Coast's neighbours e.g. ECOWAS - as well as the African Union who have just recently (last week) made it clear that it is time for Mr. Gbagbo to step a side. He noted that the way africa responded - seemed to represent "a new energy" He quoted President Obama's position on the matter as "the ideal is african solutions to african problems" and "what US thinks is really less important than what the neighbourhood feels".
He noted however that events of violence has escalated, such as the gunning down of seven women. US set that roughly 600 pp. have been killed - the banking system has fallen part, 30% of coca crop still locked in warehouses, and the presence df competing gangs - not fully under control of any officials. Gbagbo needs to step aside and let Outtara govern and start putting country back together -everyday that goes by puts recovery of the Ivory Coast further in the future and risks a return to the civil war the country faced 10 years ago.
H.E. Excellency Daouda Diabate gave his thanks to Howard University and friends for giving us space to address this very important issue. His Excellency stated that we (the forum) have a specific question to answer. What is the validity of the elections? The election from 2005 had been postponed 6 times prior to the 2010 elections. Gbagbo has been given appropriate time to better prepare this election. H.E. endorsed the election as having been "very sincere, democratic and transparent," and it's outcome recognised by the global committee. The IEC has proclaimed this result as well as the SG of the UN. The AU, UN, US, UK, Canada, France have also recognised the election - not just cause it was Ouattara who won, but because it was a sincere and transparent process and result and that's what we need for africa. AU has recently followed the steps followed by ECOWAS. Council of Peace and security - 2011 - and reaffirmed Outtara as president of The Ivory Coast, recommended he should organise the restoration of the army. Gbagbo refused all the recommendations and endorsed the rape, disappearances and mass killings of people. Internal displacement of people, fleeing to Liberia, ethnic cleansing, emplored people to help Cote d'Ivoire. H.E. stated that "the global community should not allow the loser to become the winner: elections will have no value if we don't solve this situation." He affirmed that the free and transparent electoral process in The Ivory Coast is the model for the rest of Africa.
Ms. Emira Woods thanked everyone for their attention towards The Ivory Coast. Ms. Woods addressed the question - why were these elections so important? The election was meant to be the culmination of 10 years of negotiations. The UN was asked to play a critical role in monitoring the elections by President Gbagbo himself. This situation is rare and special and needs to be understood in this context. This endorsement of the elections by the UN has been upheld by ECOWAS and the AU. As of yesterday 370,000 people have been displaced. Refugees are registered in Liberia alone. A situation in crisis at the end of november is now spinning out of control. Ms. Woods underscored the words of President Sirleaf on the current crisis: "numbers will only escalate unless we pay attention". Financial sanctions have been placed but these sanctions need to be expanded to incorporate those on the EU list and UN list, thereby creating more pressure on "the Gbagbo machinery." The AU has taken time but has done the right thing. As an international community, we have to support and help them to continue to apply pressure. Especially important is for businesses in the west who have benefited to use their force to put pressure on the Gbabgo regime. Pro-democarcy forces, particularly women, i.e. on international women's day are important for the champions of democracy that need to be supported. It is important that these voices be elevated and sustained.
Dr. Toungara, Department of History, Howard University emphasised that there are a lot of notions embraced about the Ivory Coast that aren't true and that they are shaping the dialogue in ways that simply are not productive.
Ethnicity: The line was drawn during colonial times and people are still living with the artificial boundaries that were drawn for them. Ethnicity has been manipulated in current political crisis. On her visit to the region, Dr. Toungara noted that the issue of ethnicity was under the surface, but it was not that simple. There are people in the region who are neither christian and muslim that no one has talked about. You cannot make the religious problem the only problem. There are Muslims living throughout the country. This is not simply a north vs. south issue.
Land: with the development of cash crops and expansion of people in the eastern zone to the west, there have been issues of land and obtaining land titles. We cannot forget the issue of land and title holding when discussing the crisis and solutions for the future.
The myth of Religion: Dr. Toungara stated that she would "prefer not to see it manipulated". She noted that Gbagbo has been using it - leading some people to think it is a muslim/ christian issue
Constitution and notion of power-sharing: Power sharing has been going on since Houphouët-Boigny's time. Power sharing is not new to Ivorians .
Mr. Serge Doh introduced himself as "part of the civil society of Ivory Coast". He stated his presence in The Ivory Coast during the first and second round of elections. He formed C ô te d'Ivoire Watch as a way to help. Mr. Doh is here to create an awareness about the current crisis in The Ivory Coast and to help answer the question -"how can the country can go back to what it was?" - the model for other countries where diverse peoples of different ethnicities and cultures can come together and live peacefully. Mr. Doh noted that he is "not into the political side", but acts as an Ivorian, asking the question - What can i do for my country? It is for this reason that he makes a call to international community to restore the dignity to people of the people of Ivory Coast. He referred to the popular African saying - it takes a village to raise a child, comparing it to the current situation and a similar truth that "it takes the whole international community to support a country in crisis."
Questions from the floor:
1.Howard University student from the Ivory Coast: I don't agree 100% with what Dr. Toungara said,. Ethnicity has been used in the Ivory Coast but it is not just Gbagbo. It is also used by other politicians. It is a myth to believe it is one sole ethnic group that has been oppressed. I also don't believe that the 2 rebel groups are not under Outarra's control. The attempted overthrow of Ggbago in 2002 is one such example to support this. The rebels have controlled the north of the country for eight years. Additionally, the election was not that perfect. The president of electoral committee stated that the participation rate was 80% but election committee originally said that it can't be over 70%
Ambassador's response: as far as the 2010 elections, these were properly organised. The necessary measures have been taken to ensure reliability of these elections. This is the role of the IEC: they are the one who made the registration - was a huge contention between the parties but they were able to agree upon the number given by the IEC. If the president of the commission does not agree on the result - all they can do is nullify the election and organise another in 45 days - and thats all.
2. Professor from SAIS : Why did Mr. Wharton give speech that is several months old? Why aren't we doing anything about the situation as the US - we are doing something in Libya. Why aren't we declaring blood cocoa - what is Africom doing - not suggesting that american troops be there - but are we helping the Ivorians adequately?
Mr Wharton's response: While I am loath to draw comparisons, these are 2 different situations in many different ways- Libya and the Ivory Coast. In the Ivory Coast there has been a large military presence there for a number of years, whether they have succeeded is another question. The US position has been for a long time to support the democratic process. When things started to go downhill the US began to take a punitive approach e.g. economic sanctions. The US has remained hopeful that the solution can come largely through peaceful rather than military means.
3. Unknown: There is emphasis as elections as a way to measure whether democracy is working. What are we doing to measure whether democracy is working beyond the vote itself?
Ms. Emira Woods: it's true we can't equate democracy with elections. There also need to be freedom of press, an independent judiciary and electoral commission. Part of the call is to begin to pay attn to these issues so thank you for holding that up. On the subject of FGM - this is an issue in many countries - but the women's movement in The Ivory coast was marching for one issue only: peace. Women are demanding that the will of people be heard/ be respected.
An important question is ask is if the stage is set for democracy in some of countries where elections will be held in the future, and how will we help in that regard. "Democracy must always be in the making" - its a process rather than a thing. People need to see that democracy works -we can't just have elections and walk away.
4. Unknown: Can you explain more how ethnicity was used?
5. Voice Of America: Mr. Wharton said that the U.S. doesn't have a candidate and the electoral process is the only candidate. Is U.S. action in Libya not the opposite of that notion. Is the US willing to support an armed intervention into the Ivory Coast and what do you say to sceptics who say that the U.S. is too involved in african affairs?
Mr. Wharton's response: Again, i am loath to draw comparisons. The scale of conflict in the two countries is different. In Libya the government is making deliberate war on its's people. The concern was what might happen if Col. Kadhafi's forces had been allowed to role into Benghazi. Additionally, regional organisations actually demanded international action and this went through the UN Security Council on the backing of a coalition. No one in the Ivory Coast stood up and said u guys have to do something. The U.S. was reluctant to march in uninvited.
Dr Toungara: The issue of power sharing has to be examined closely. Several power sharing arrangements have been made with Gbagbo in the past and none of them have worked.
Ambassador: It is a practice in Ivory Coast to share power. For example, the Minister of Agriculture has roots in Senegal/ Burkina Faso. This is how the country used to be and thats what we are losing. The Ivory Coast was intended to be a melting pot. The immigrate population rate was up to 26%. This is new ivory coast that Outtara wants to reinstate - a government of reconciliation -but not the kind of "reconciliation" that forces you to choose someone who doesn't have the capacity simply because they are of a different ethnicity or religious background. As far as the african response: The african community has responded. There are many examples of african involvement. When the crisis broke out, ECOWAS met on the 7th of December. Seven missions have been sent to the Ivory Coast since then. At the ECOWAS meeting tomorrow in Abuja - strong statements will be made with respect to what international organizations have been able to do in Libya and not in the Ivory Coast.
Mr. Akwete expressed his shock. People have said what is going on in Ivory Coast is orchestrated by France and US, and Gbagbo is fighting for pan-africanism. These issues did not come up in this forum. In his view, as a pan-africanist - its not an issue of neo-colonialism, which does exist - but this is an issue about elections. It is clear that this is one of the elections held anywhere in Africa or in the world. Elections are not perfect but one side won. And if one side wins and is not allowed to take power there are implications for the other countries. e,g, Burkina Faso, Ghana. It is not a pan-african issue.
Unkown: What role has the faith leadership in The Ivory Coast played if any? What has been the response of the young people in The Ivory Coast from your perspective?
Counsellor at Embassy of Ivory Coast: surprised that none of people are not bothered by the US and French Embassy taking the president of the EC and announcing the electoral results at Ouattara's hotel. Gbagbo asked them to recount the votes and it has not been done yet.
Unknown: Given the recent increase in violence in the country is powersharing still off the table or will be reconsidered. Should the international response be stronger and if so, in what form should it be
Unknown: I haven't heard citizenship being discussed. Millions of people have moved to the country - seems to be an unresolved issue - needs to be resolved for the reconciliation process.
US trade representative: Can we hear more on the economic devastation that has resulted from this crisis? We have been working for the past 5-6 years with the Ivorian embassy- we took them out of AGOA and it has been a goal for some time to bring them back in. This crisis has overtaken everything. Until the issue is resolved and the winner is allowed to take power, our hands are tied on the AGOA issue.
Concluding Remarks:
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Mr. Wharton: Most important to note is that the Pan African body has taken a long hard look at the electoral process and it's outcome and said that Gbagbo must step aside. Electoral Commission attempted to announce results but were prevented. The reason the results were announced at Ouattara's hotel is that that is where the international press were. In closing, what happens in the Ivory Coast matters not just to the people of Ivory Coast but to Africa and the whole world. The worlds attention is distracted right now by other crisis in the world. It is incumbent for all of us who care about Africa to keep this in the news.
Ambassador Diabate: No specific law indicates where the results of the election should be proclaimed. The president of the electoral commission was fighting for his own life before he announced the results and needed security. Did the changing of the venue impact the result? What we needed was the result and we got the result.
On citizenship: we are lucky to have members of our neighboring countries living with us. One has to make a request and you are granted citizenship -the out going president stated this. People who are entitled to have it, have it. it is an open country but it doesn't not mean there is no law.
On the Business issue -not being part of AGOA has hurt ivory coast a lot - we were all expecting the election to mark a return into AGOA
His Excellency gave a closing statement of thanks to the participants of the forum and re-iterated that the electoral process in Ivory Coast should have been regarded as a model for the rest of Africa. He also thanked the U.S. for helping the Ivory Coast get out of its situation.
Ms. Emira Woods:
On issue of identity. Ghana is an example of a country moving forward on this question in an interesting way. We must not forget to recognise the positive changes happening on the continent and hold them up.
In closing - it is powerful everyone came and stayed. I know there is a lot competing for your attention right now but it is critical that we recognize whats going on in The Ivory Coast. I encourage US to send a Special Envoy to the region. We have seen the power an envoy can have to adding voice to the cause. I encouraged people to get involved.
Dr. Toungara:
On the issue of faith leadership: within the country the Catholic church is one of the most well informed. The Muslim clergy seems to be in support of Ouattara and keeping the peace.
On youth: many youth been invited to serve in the army - in the Jeune Patriot. There are many questions regarding how Gbagbo's regime intends to arm and train youth. However, we feel that once they are no longer paid and clothed, they will no longer continue to take part in Gbagbo's army.
On the issue of citizenship: Let us lay to rest the issue of Ouattara not being Ivorian.
In conclusion: I was initially hopeful. In 1990 Gbagbo demonstrated tremendous courage to stand against Houphouët-Boigny. However, I am disappointed that the same man is now terrorizing his own people.
Mr. Serge Doh: If we destroy each other, there will be no Ivory Coast. The Ivory Coast was the leader of the West African region; it accounted for over 40% of wealth in the region. It needs to go back to being the leader and lead by example.
Ms. Paolo: 3 Points to be made: we can't afford to have a knee jerk reaction to cocoa - labelling it "blood cocoa" - This is the main source of revenue for people of the Ivory Coast- when you attach a stigma to something it has the ability to detrimentally impact the economy of a country. 2. No one at this table is here because they are being paid by any entity. 3. Thank you to everyone for taking the time to come to the event.
Dr. Harold Scott: This is not simply another African dispute - but an election that has international significance - and for that, the Ivorians should be proud.
