NOREF - Africa and the Ivory Coast: a time for decision

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Makau Mutua

Makau Mutua is Dean, SUNY Distinguished Professor, and the Floyd H. & Hilda L. Hurst Faculty Scholar at Buffalo Law School, The State University of New York. He teaches international human rights, international business transactions, and international law. Professor Mutua holds a doctor...
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Africa and the Ivory Coast: a time for decision

Makau Mutua , 31 January 2011

Summary

The normal role of elections in creating stability and entrenching the state’s legitimacy is being undermined in Ivory Coast. There, the clear result of the presidential election runoff in November 2010 was the defeat of the incumbent Laurent Gbagbo by the opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara. But Gbagbo refuses to accept the verdict, which has been endorsed by the country’s independent electoral commission as well as the international community. The resulting standoff places a great responsibility on two regional bodies, the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas). Their initial unified response has been complicated by Ghana’s subsequent opposition to the use of force against Gbagbo. But Nigeria has been firm in pressing Gbagbo to step down, and could still play the pivotal role in efforts to install Ouattara, the rightful victor. The decisions the AU and Ecowas now take over the Ivory Coast carry great implications for democracy in Africa.