Côte d’Ivoire Needs a New Conflict Resolution and Peace-building Strategy

Abstract

The military and political crisis in Cote d’Ivoire is an illustration of the assertion that resistance is a concept embodying a multitude of meanings. The Ivorian parties have framed their civil war as the result of a conflict between several meanings of resistance. The presidential party claims to lead a nationalist resistance against neocolonial forces associated with the French government, as well as a Christian resistance against Islamic terrorism. The armed rebellion and the traditional political opposition contend that their actions are justified by a duty of resistance against ethnic and religious sectarianism, as well as Mr. Gbagbo’s despotic and unprincipled style of government. This article provides a critical analysis of current international efforts to resolve the Ivorian conflict, and particularly of the roadmap to peace adopted at Linas- Marcoussis, France, and later endorsed by the United Nations and other international actors as the appropriate framework for a peaceful and durable solution to the crisis. By presenting a set of principles and operational measures for an alternative conflict resolution strategy this article is focused on the creation of sustainable democratic institutions and their legitimization through a truly democratic process for writing and adopting a new Ivorian constitution. Whether or not in a post-9/11 world, conflicts such as those in the Cote d’Ivoire continue to be ignominiously ignored and marginalized by the United States is yet to be seen, but what this article proves is a need to establish a viable solution of lasting-peace for the region.