1. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mr. Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
FROM: Tyler McDonald, Desk Officer – Cote d’Ivoire
DATE: February 20, 2013
SUBJECT: 2013 Prospective on Cote d’Ivoire
Background:
Cote d’Ivoire, a former French colony, had one of the most developed and promising economies
in West Africa up until 1999, when a coup overthrew the democratically elected government.
Later subsequent failed elections led to the break out of a civil war which divided the nation in
two sides in 2002. This culminated into a disputed transfer of power in 2011 when former
President Laurent Gbagbo refused to cede power after his election loss causing violent clashes
between supporters of both sides. Thiscrisis has left the country vulnerable as it attempts to
reconcile the divided nation, reform the security sector and repair the economy. U.S. - Ivoirian
relations have traditionally beenfriendly. The United States currently provides more than a
quarter of the funding for UNCOI (United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire).
U.S. Strategic Interests:
Global Governance:
The top priority in Africa is promoting good governance and democracy. It is important for the
U.S. to support the democratically elected administration in support of the broader goals in the
continent. A stable and democratic Cote d’Ivoire is imperative to this mission. The instability
and disputed transition of power sets a negativeprecedent for other African countries, who are
having elections and are attempting to transition and/or solidifyinto democracies. Similar
refusals to give up power were seen in Benin and Uganda shortly after this conflict.
Stability in the Region:
Cote d’Ivoire is in the heart of West Africa and borders five countries: Ghana, Burkina Faso,
Guinea, Liberia and Mali. The recent crisis in Mali adds to the U.S. strategic importance on this
sub-region with the heightened prospect of terrorism and extremism, in particularly the AQIM
linked groups in Mali and Boko Haram in Nigeria. Further instability in Cote d’Ivoire could
potentially trigger similar problems throughout other West African states. Some of which have
already experienced serve crises in recent years making them more susceptible.
Economic Relations:
Economic recovery will help stabilize and further develop the country. Cote d’Ivoire is eligible
for preferential trade with the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The U.S. exports steel,
machinery, plastics and agricultural products among others. The U.S. imports include cocoa,
rubber, wood, cashews and oil. Our current trade deficit is $1.1 billion dollars.U.S. firms have
made significant investments in oil and gas projects, banking, cocoa and international courier
services.

2. Key issues in 2013
National Divisions:
Nationality and identity are the core cause of the internal crisis that has plagued Cote d’Ivoire
since 2001. The country has long benefited from the steady inflow of immigrants from other
West African states who have added to the agricultural sector, which dominates the economy.
The north of the country has a majority Muslim and immigrant population and remains largely
underdeveloped. The south is prominently Christian and is far more developed. Out of the
twenty-two million people living in Cote d’Ivoire an estimated eight million are immigrants,
generally from other West African states. These immigrants, and the descendants of immigrants,
do not receive recognition as citizens and remain without a path to citizenship. This has led to a
conflict over national identity and what it means to be Ivoirian. Political tensions have risen in
the country as nearly twenty percent of the population goes without representation and limited
rights. This national divide could potentially reignite as former President Gbagbo stands trial at
the International Criminal Court this month for crimes against Humanity. Several hundred
supporters have already taken to the streets in protest last week. While there has been a
significant amount of progresson charging individualsfrom Gbagbo’s camp, Ivorian authorities
have not arrested or charged any members of the pro-Ouattara rebel forces who also
committed grave crimes during the crisis.
Legitimacy:
There is also a concern over the perceived legitimacy of President Ouattara. Tensions still
remain from the violent and delayed transfer of power. President Ouattara, while democratically
elected, had to take his seat by force through rebels who supported him. There is also tension
stemming from the intervention of U.N. and French troops who monitored the ceasefire. This has
complicated Ouattara’s legitimacy as opponents perceive his accession to the presidency as a
tribute of force and support by the former colonizer, France. The current administration must
combat these tensions in hopes to avoid further conflicts.
Border Security:
There have been several attacks along the borders since the 2010 elections. In June 2012 an
attack on the Liberian border resulted in the death of seven UN peacekeepers and twenty-seven
civilians. In September 2012 there was an attack on the Ghanaian border which resulted in eight
deaths and caused a closure of the border with Ghana. The recent events in Mali heighten the
threat of conflict and terrorism in the region as well as bringing in many refugees from the crisis.
Several conflicts with mercenaries on the Liberian border have added to the chaos.This cross-
border violence poses a threat, furthering political tensions and insecurity throughout the
country. There have been several attacks on tankers offof the coast of Cote d’Ivoire, the most
recent of which occurred early February 2013 when a French tanker was hijacked.
Security Sector Reform:
The security situation remains unstable. There have been several attacks on army and police
bases and on border posts around Cote d’Ivoire. The root of this issue is political as the current
administration does not trust the current police force, which was trained largely under the
previous regime. This has led to a disarming of the police force and a reliance on armed soldiers

3. for security. The army has been poorly integrated with thousands of rebels that supported the
current administration pushed into the regular army.
Economic Recovery:
The economy is still recovering from the conflict which interrupted its steady growth. Most
infrastructure has been repaired which has allowed the farmers and businesses to continue
exporting without needing to go through neighboring countries. This is promising for the
normalization of trade relations. However, the instability in the country has led to a severe
increase in food prices. Cote d’Ivoire remains the world’s largest exporter of cocoa as
international prices have risen to the highest prices in over three decades. The increase in cocoa
prices along with a tripiling in local food prices has severely hindered Ivoirians ability to feed
themselves and families. This raises concerns for potential famine and food riots.