April 2011 - Centre for Civil Society - University of KwaZulu-Natal

Most of the violence reported to date is carried out during night raids led
by the security forces and other groups in the neighbourhoods of Abidjan
that are considered to be predominantly populated by Ouattara’s
supporters. Human rights organisations have noted a series of kidnappings
under similar circumstances. The victims of these kidnappings were
declared missing or were found dead.[6] Coulibaly confirmed this stating:
‘Acquaintances of ours have been kidnapped.’ According to Sophie, these
are ‘raids that are violent, ethnic-based and politically motivated,
targeted against individuals or groups of people whose neighbours have
informed on them. The perpetrators are mercenaries who are paid to
commit these murders.’
According to independent sources, human rights and women’s rights
activists are living in a state of constant anxiety with respect to their
safety. An experienced civil society advocate, who requested to remain
anonymous, told IRIN: ‘I have been in hiding ever since being threatened
over two weeks ago. Sometimes, it looks as though the situation is about
to calm down. This is often the impression in the daytime, but one never
knows what will happen once night falls.’[7] Toure confirmed: ‘We are
working within a context of fear. We are truly sad about what is happening
in our country. We cannot carry out our work openly for fear of reprisals.
In spite of this, we are working, relying on God, and hoping that our
country will rapidly overcome this situation.’ Coulibaly stated: ‘As a
representative of the Democracy and Human Rights Fund (FDDH), I do not
feel safe.’
IMPACT OF THE CRISIS ON WORK ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS
The punitive sanctions imposed on Côte d'Ivoire have had a very negative
impact on non-governmental organisations that depend mainly on
international funds for their survival. Toure explained that most of their
financial partners in the United Nations system and the World Bank have
closed their offices, which has in turn forced the NGOs to suspend most of
their activities. Furthermore, due to political instability, it is increasingly
difficult to operate as normal. Coulibaly stated: ‘Nothing is sure. We have
to tailor our plans according to how events evolve. We are afraid to go to
work and sometimes we receive information or hear rumours that cause us
to stay away from work.’
OTHER RAMIFICATIONS OF THE CRISIS: THE WIDENING OF THE DIVISION
The riots that broke out in September 2002 in Côte d’Ivoire divided the
country between the south, run by the Gbagbo government, and the north,
controlled by rebel forces led by Guillaume Soro, the current prime
minister in the Ouattara administration. However, in 2008, after signing
the Ouagadougou Agreement, the country began a reunification process,
which led to the consensual organisation of the recent presidential
elections.
However, some people are afraid that the alliance between Soro and
Ouattara will cause a revival of the divisions, and will introduce a religious
dimension to the divide. Nonetheless, it should be emphasized that there
are different opinions on this subject, as highlighted by Toure. ‘No matter
what is being said, the people in Côte d’Ivoire do not promote division,’
she said. ‘It is the politicians who have put us into this situation because of
their personal interests. In the south, there are Christians and Muslims,
and there are also people from the north, and we live together in
harmony, at least those who have understood that division does not suit
us, which is most of us. The same is true in the north. Therefore, there is
no real division in Côte d’Ivoire, even if this is what they want you to
believe. Ivorians have suffered through ten years of crisis. In the end,