Africa Society and Howard's Ralph Bunche Center to Convene Forum on Côte d'Ivoire at Crossroads In Collaboration with Côte d'Ivoire Watch

21 March 2011
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Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa (Washington, DC)
press release

The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa and Howard University's Ralph J. Bunche International, in collaboration with Côte d'Ivoire Watch, will sponsor a forum, "Côte d'Ivoire at the Crossroads: Implications for Democracy in Africa" on Tuesday, March 22 from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.

The program will take place at the Ralph J. Bunche Center, located at 2218 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC, and is open to the public.

Panelists for this program are:

  • The Honorable David Bruce Wharton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of African Affairs
  • His Excellency Daouda Diabaté, Ambassador from the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire to the U.S.
  • Ms. Emira Woods, Co-Director, Foreign Policy in Focus, Institute for Policy Studies
  • Dr. Jeanne Maddox Toungara, Department of History, Howard University
  • Mr. Serge Doh, Representative, Côte d'Ivoire Watch
  • Dr. Harold Scott, Director of Howard's Ralph J. Bunche Center, and Bernadette Paolo, President and CEO of The Africa Society, will moderate this panel.

In November 2011, elections in Côte d'Ivoire that were deemed free and fair by the National Election Commission of the Ivory Coast, African Union, European Union, United Nations, and the international community writ large gave hope to Ivoirians for a new era of democracy.   Those hopes were thwarted by former President Laurent Gbagbo who refuses to accede power to President Alassance Ouattara. Ouattara remains holed up in a hotel in the country he was elected to govern.   Escalating violence, political instability, deplorable humanitarian conditions resulting in over 90,000 refugees in Liberia alone   and a steadily rising death toll have resulted from Mr. Gbagbo's ability to violate the rule of law with impunity.

According to Congressman Donald M. Payne (D- N.J), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, "It is important that the will of the people of Côte d'Ivoire be adhered to, as this model of subverting democratic elections has serious implications for the 16 other elections that are going to take place in the near future in Africa."   Congressman Payne is the original sponsor of House Resolution 85, which supports the democratic aspirations of the Ivoirian people, and calls on the United States and international community to support African efforts to resolve the crisis.

The partnership between Howard University's Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center and The Africa Society for the Issue Forum Series began in 2000.   Its purpose is to bring together policymakers, the media, academics, opinion leaders, stakeholders, African leaders, and the public to discuss key topics pertaining to the African continent.

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