AFRICA: ON THE COURSE OF DIPLOMATIC FATALITY IN IVORY COAST

“In practice, it may not pay the incumbent to conduct fair elections in countries that have no history of democracy. A study showed that incumbents who rig elections stay in office 2.5 times as long as those who permit fair elections. Above $2,700 per capita democracies have been found to be less prone to violence, but below that threshold, more violence.

“The same study shows that election misconduct is more likely in countries with low per capita incomes, small populations, rich in natural resources, and a lack of institutional checks and balances. Sub-Sahara countries, as well as Afghanistan, all tend to fall into that category”.

Wikipedia: Study on Democracy
'UNSTABLE' WEST AFRICA, having been stable for over a decade and half, is gradually crawling back to its old habit of destabilization. Closing its doors to military interventions in political governance, the region is fatally turning to rebellious activism which is becoming deadlier than the 'ZOMBI' interventionists.

Liberia is a classic case, followed by Sierra Leone. Human casualties/fatalities go beyond reasonable count – here.

In the case of Liberia, when the pointers settled on the fact that there was near crises, the catch-phrase of African leaders, was conjured by then Master Sgt. Samuel Cayon Doe; “Don't interfere in our internal affairs”.

He said this when the sub-regional leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), did everything possible for him to exit the leadership palace of Liberia. What happened next is history which cannot be re-narrated here.

The African leadership MADNESS took a flight to Niger's near OCTOGENARIAN Mohamadu Tandja. The then 'mad' African head of state, decimated the country's constitution which made him president, and girded tightly, the gown that the same constitution made him occupy the presidency. I sat in my lonely corner and prayed that he be toppled and it…

Prior to his action, the then Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, also attempted 'butchering' his country's constitution for his personal consumption.

He, FORTUNATELY, met a vigorous opposition and had to abandon course.

Currently, not only ECOWAS and Africa Union (AU), but the world at large, is confronted with the potently barbaric situation which has already caught up with us in the once upon a time, 'PEACEFUL' state in the sub-region.

I have used inverted comas for peaceful, because, the much touted peace in Ivory Coast was an ARTIFICIAL one. It is so, due to the fact that Houphouet Boigny, sat on 'suppressed' acts of opposition to his reign. He was described by some advanced countries as having ruled with “iron hands”. The media was rigidly controlled and political opposition was almost none existent.

He, though, did not use very harsh measures that could draw the international community's attention, the community was aware that what pertained in his country was not DEMOCRACY. The capitalist West sealed their mouths, because, Ivory Coast was an assured capitalist base in the sub-region.

They did not only close their mouths, ears and eyes to what stared them; that any time to come when the 'Papa' of Ivory Coast passes on, the gloomy prognostication would surely set in. Anything possible was therefore, done to make the Ivorian economy buoyant by supporting especially its cocoa, coffee and generally the agric sector to blossom.

THE ECONOMY
Ghana, once the leading cocoa growing country in the world, lost the status to Ivory Coast by 1978. This was as a result of the Ghanaian Government decision of 1969, to deport expatriates - most of who were engaged by cocoa landlords in the cultivation areas.

The exercise, which was christened “The Aliens Compliance Order,” saw many of these expatriate farm hands drifting into Ivory Coast.

Houphouet Boigny, once told Osagyefo Dr. Nkrumah to keep to his socialist ideals when the latter proposed for the building of silos by the two states to store cocoa beans in order to create an artificial shortage at the world market, due to insulting price controls by the West. Indeed, he had an ambition to out do Ghana in the world producer leadership.

He, therefore, embraced the influx of the migrating aliens to his country. He did not stop at that. In Ivory Coast, expatriates were not engaged as farm hands; for the then president had this policy of,' the person who tills the land owns it'.

In so reasoning, the expatriate tillers of the land - owned it. We are talking of over forty years ago. Prior to this development, there were other citizens from such countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and many others who were already in the system.

Aside of the agric sector, commercial activities had also engaged the attention of the so-called aliens, some of whom have their fathers/grand fathers live there for the past close to a hundred years and brought them forth.

Treichville and Adjame, are major towns that have been taken over commercially by the expatriates. Even some commercial concerns in Central Abidjan are in the hands of these people. One can, therefore, state with certainty that the Ivorian economy has been propelled by the 'aliens'.

CRISIS POLITICALLE
“It is I who should be the focus, not the administration. I have my own views, goals, achievement, and the capacity to govern. It is convenient, of course, for the opposition line of attack, but I believe our people will be able to see through such tactic”. Gibo Theodoro

Filipino politician

The above seemed to be what the premier president of Ivory Coast got his people convinced to FOCUS on him and not his administration. The only person who focused on his administration was the current DEMOCRAT Laurent Gbagbo.

His almost two decades of hard opposition to Houphouet Boigny's reign is un-equaled by any Ivorian opposition leader, if there was any at the time who opposed him. His perseverance, once led to some sort of democratic elections in Ivory Coast.

However, at the demise of Houphouet Boigny, in December, 1993, shadows of destabilization showed up. First, it was then speaker of Parliament, Konan Bedie and Alassane Ouatara, Prime Minister at the time, who were at conflict as to the right person to succeed the founding father of Ivory Coast. But the country's constitution was at hand and stated clearly that it was the speaker's legitimacy to take over. End of conflict Number One.

Conflict Number Two, arose when Alassane Ouatara made his decision open to contest the next elections when Bedie ended the remaining term of Houphouet Boigny. It was at this stage that Bedie detonated a 'bomb' he had at hand.

Konan Bedie alleged Ouatara, claimed in his records at Havard University where he did a Masters progromme, that he is a Burkinabe citizen. His NATIONALITY as an Ivorian citizen, and his PATRIOTISM to the state of Ivory Coast, is therefore, DOUBTFUL.

Much as I do not know the position of the Ivorian Constitution on this development; and assuming without admitting that this is the situation, how can any country entertain this state of affairs? In as much as Alassane Ouatara, could be blamed for this double standards of NATIONALITY, how NATIONALISTIC is Konan Bedie in this regard? Why did he wait all this while when Ouatara had served as diplomat as well as the country's time Prime Minister, before taking a caveat?

The answer, in this regard is clear, that as part of the 'Iron Fisted' style of rule by Houphouet Boigny, made it impossible for the likes of Bedie to challenge him. In spite of their 'love' for the first president, it was the prayer of hard-line Ivoriens for his early exit. Thus, when the opportune time came, Bedie used it to his and other Ivoriens advantage.

However, the fact that the country's Supreme Court had already disqualified Alassane Ouatara from contesting the 2000 elections based on the question of his nationality meant that Ouatara is not a citizen. This was after the Bedie government sent the matter to court for interpretation, citing both parents of Ouatara being Burkinabes.

Bedie, then contested the election in 1995, against a not too strong opposition and won overwhelmingly.

The situation however, degenerated to an ethnocentric incitement, which led to the coining of the slogan “IVOIRITE” (indigenous IVORIANNESS).

In the course of the generating crisis, military opportunists, led by General Robert Guei, took advantage of it, intervened, and toppled Konan Bedie. His take-over did not change anything; for the issue of INVOIRITE still reigned. That, in a way, sent fears to the people of the northern part of the country who felt threatened.

Under his supervision and participation in a general election in 2000, Gen. Guei attempted rigging the elections which was clearly won by current President Laurent Gbagbo. Post-polls confusion, finally led to the assassination of Gen. Guei, which saw Gbagbo taking over as the constitutionally elected president.

Before the elections however, people of northern origin were refused National Identity Cards; a deprivation which further made them feel marginalized, and which gave them the urge to do something. We ought to be mindful that indeginous northern Ivoriens does not include settler aliens in which bracket Alassane Ouatara falls. Guilaume Soro is an northern Ivorien.

In 2002, hell broke loose in Ivory Coast, when rebels from the north attempted taking control of the reign of the government of Laurent Gbagbo. It took the French troops based in that country to stop the rebellion.

That notwithstanding, the country was partitioned into two, culminating in the rebels, officially known as the “Forces Nouvelles de Cote d'Ivoire” (“New Forces of Ivory Coast”), controlling the north.

The United Nations, and the AU, made interventions, and finally negotiated a settlement which included the consideration of Ouatara to contest the presidential elections. Many northerners were also issued Ivorian Identity Cards.

Finally, elections were held which could not come out with a clear winner, requiring a run-off which was held on November 28, 2010. The Independent Electoral Commission of Ivory Coast, which supervised the elections, declared Alassane Ouatara as the winner, with an alleged 54.1%, as against Laurent Gbagbo's 45.9% at the party headquarters of Ouatara.

The declaration, which was supposed to have sealed off the Ivorian crisis, was not to be. The Constitutional Council, the equivalent of a Supreme Court, jumped in and declared Gbagbo, the winner stressing that it is the constitutional legitimacy of the council to so act.

The over-ruling of the IEC results /declaration of Laurent Gbagbo winning the same polls is what has led to the country, finding itself in the current mess. Gbagbo has become LEGITIMATE President, sworn-in by a LEGITIMATE Chief Justice, while Alassane Ouatara also ILLEGITIMATELY swore himself into 'power'.

DIPLOMATIC MESS/DANGER
As a result of the council's intervention, Ivory Coast is on the verge of becoming a paralyzed state. The UN, AU, ECOWAS, and some Western States have recognized Alassane Ouatara, as being the legitimately elected President of the country.

But, the AU/ECOWAS handling of the situation is so messy, that one wonders the kind of diplomacy that is being engaged. At the very beginning of the crises, the AU condemned the situation in the country, and stated its recognition of Ouatara as legitimately elected by the Ivorien people.

The UNION did this without recourse to finding out what was the real situation in the country. Shortly after its proclaimed stance, another official of the same UNION claimed it had not taken a decisive position on Ivory Coast.

ECOWAS convened an emergency meeting of its heads of State and resolved that Gbagbo must step aside.

In its statement condemning the illegality of the sitting President, it stressed the fact that military option must be considered if he refuses to vacate the presidency.

While the situation was still developing, Prime Minister Raila Odinga of Kenya; in his individual capacity, issued a very hard hitting statement urging the AU to use military force against the 'illegal' regime. It came at a time former President Thabo Mbeki, had been appointed to mediate in the stalemate.

Now, whatever happened after the Mbeki intervention, Raila Odinga, who prescribed military action against Gbagbo, was later made a member of an AU mediating team. Many of the mediators from both AU and ECOWAS were criss-crossing themselves, all in a bid to salvage the situation. The question is how do they expect the President to regard such emissaries of 'peace'?

Raila Odinga, certainly was right in his condemnation of the situation in Ivory Coast, having suffered what he may have mistakenly considered to be a similar fate that led to the current power-sharing in his country, Kenya. But the question is how did the AU settle on him, and what was the role of Thabo Mbeki?

On the ECOWAS consideration of military intervention, I feel it is an act of hypocrisy. The fact is, what legal backing does it have to undertake such an exercise?

In the midst of these diplomatic fallacies, we had yet another former president who equally lacks DEMOCRATIC credibility, jumping into the fray as a MEDIATOR.

Assuming without admitting that what is happening in Ivory Coast, amounts to the overthrow of its constitution; the question bothering on political 'morality' is, what action did the regional body take regarding Ahmadu Tandja, who did the same thing in Niger? In that stead, won't the Gbagbo 'illegal' occupation of the presidency, deem it right to consider, the considered option of ECOWAS as discriminatory?

COMMUNION OF INTERNATIONAL ROGUES
The international community, especially the AU and ECOWAS, may have to ponder over where they threaded and see whether their individual positions on the crises was not a continental/regional sell-out to the 'global community of hypocrites', otherwise called the United Nations.

The initial handling of the situation by these organizations emboldened the UN and the French government to engage in the carnage that is taking place in Ivory Coast at the moment. Prior to the current precarious situation, numerous international commentators argued that the elections were seriously flawed because the rebels still held on to their weapons, and that in a way did not warrant free-will voting in the areas they effectively controlled.

So, the rebels held on to their weapons and even stockpiled more, only to use same against defenseless citizens of the country. And it is only at this stage that these 'rogue' international bodies can open their mouths wide as they can, complaining of human rights abuses.

The 'rogue' bodies knew very well that the rebels were being allegedly armed by the government of Burkina Faso. However, they turned the blind side of their eyes to this development, thus giving the rebels enough room to arm themselves and go on the slaughtering rampage.

The roguery of the international community has had its will done on the defenseless Ivorien people. I can however, forewarn that it is not the end. For, against wise counsel, 'madness' from the BUSH, accompanied by a 'blurting' BLAIR, invaded Iraq in a bid to 'save' them. The international community is now witnessing worst pockets of massacre that is taking place there.

Taking up this write-up as a Ghanaian, I wish to state for once that the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition under Dr. Busia regime saved Ghana, the ordeal Ivory Coast is encountering now. It is recorded that over six million aliens, mostly Burkinabes, Malians, Nigeriens and Guineans make up a percentage of the Ivorien population. Out of this the ethnic Moshie tribe of Burkina Faso constitute about seventy per cent. This is the tribe Alassane Ouatara comes from.

As factored in earlier, the Aliens Compliance Order undertaken by the Busia government in 1969, had almost all the alien farm hands drift to Ivory Coast.

I must remind, especially Ghanaians, that aside of the Moshie and the Malian Gaogao community who were found in the cocoa growing areas, we had the Yoribas who were into commerce and could be found in every corner of this country.

It is now forty-two years since the exercise and one can imagine that if it had not happened, what would have been the fate of Ghana today. Think about it!

In concluding this write-up, I wish to state that especially if the African (Disunion) Union cannot be up its mandate of seeking the welfare of continental citizens, then all the docile leaders that constitute it must back out. In fact they are a shame to us.

I call on the youth of Africa to rise up against these resource-milking leaders who are ready to sell our birth-right for a cent to the neo-colonial navigators. I rest my case.

Camillus Maalneriba-Tia Sakzeesi
[email protected]
Tel: 0266223333/0249488120