Ivory
Coast Peace Building and State Reconstruction post Pretoria
agreements
in
the vision of
Diaspora
et Jeunesse de Côte d’Ivoire (D.J.CI) and
Citizens
for Unity and Peace in Ivory Coast
(CUP-CI)
The Côte d’Ivoire
(CI) has experienced several years of destruction that have left
a heavy toll on this fragile West African state.
In the CI, like in so many post-colonial African states,
especially in West Africa, state institutions have severely
deteriorated in recent years, bringing insecurity, violence,
economic decay, increased poverty, and much hardship to their
populations. Constitutions and the rule of law have been grossly
violated, resources have been plundered by groups in power,
economic activity has shrunk, the environment has suffered great
damage, public and social morals have deteriorated, and violence
and lawlessness has erupted. The state is increasingly unable to
control these negative developments, and cannot fulfill its
fundamental purpose of protecting the welfare and security of
the people, the administration of justice, and the protection of
the integrity of the national territory. As an indication of the
malaise, even ethnic differences have been made to escalate to
catastrophic proportions to the extent of putting the survival
of countries in jeopardy. Little
is left of the hopes and ideals of independence, uttered only a
few decades ago. In fact, even this formal independence has
disappeared. State sovereignty is often little more than a myth,
existing mainly in appearance, since many such states are
dictated from outside, and are unable to control neither their
foreign nor their domestic policies.
This deterioration
process has been very visible in the Côte d’Ivoire, which is
rapidly becoming a failed state—and as such a potential
tinderbox, a situation that bodes ill for the rest of West
Africa, several of whose states are just emerging from violent
conflicts and are building still fragile peace processes with
the support of the international community.
In the CI, an internal conflict originating in policies
of ethnic exclusion and in an unhealthy rivalry between members
of its political class, has been an important factor in the
current deterioration of the country.
D.J.CI (Diaspora and
Youth of Côte d’Ivoire) and CUP-CI (Citizens for Unity and
Peace in Cote d’Ivoire), free of entanglements with any of the
warring partisans, and unaffiliated with outside parties that
may seek to profit from the conflict, are conscious of the
efforts undertaken by the international community to get members
of the Ivorian political class to agree to peace, and express
their gratitude for this support. The latest chapter of these
efforts are the Pretoria agreements of April 2005, which take
the peace process begun at Linas-Marcoussis in 2003 to its
present stage.
So far Ivorian political
leaders have shown an ambivalent attitude to the peace
agreements they have signed. Like the majority of the suffering
Ivorian population, D.J.CI and CUP-CI, can only hope that this
time the peace process will be implemented with honesty,
sincerity and good will by all sides.
In case that the leading
actors in the current Ivorian conflict finally decide to abide
by the agreements they have signed, and fully respect in good
faith the commitments they have made, thus enabling the Pretoria
agreements to be properly implemented, D.J.CI and CUP-CI
would fully support this peace process, on the expectation that
their implementation will lead to free and fair elections that
will not exclude any participants on ethnic or other unjustified
criteria.
Some time ago, based on
the assumption that the incumbent key political actors would not
allow Linas Marcoussis to properly proceed, D.J.CI and CUP-CI
issued a proposal for an alternative Peace Plan to end the CI
conflict and restore unity, peace, and prosperity to the Côte
d’Ivoire. Should
current developments prove our initial assumptions no longer to
be valid, and should these politicians show that they are truly
committed to the peace accords they have signed, D.J.CI and
CUP-CI would like to specify some basic criteria they consider
essential to ensure that the peace-building and
state-reconstruction process post-Pretoria leads to genuine and
sustainable peace for the Côte d’Ivoire.
1)
D.J.CI and CUP-CI
2)
D.J.CI and CUP-CI’s Vision for CI Governance
D.J.CI and CUP-CI’s
vision for the Côte d’Ivoire is one of inclusive democracy;
responsible, clean, and transparent governance; respect for the
rule of law; economic pragmatism; and close cooperation, both
regionally within the country and internationally. D.J.CI and
CUP-CI also envision a democratic model that incorporates
time-tested Ivorian and African concepts and traditions.
Some of the most
important features of the model for CI governance envisioned by
D.J.CI and CUP-CI are:
a)
Ethnic inclusiveness. Aware of the important
contribution of past immigration to the development of the CI,
D.J.CI/CUP-CI place a high priority on fostering a climate of
ethnic inclusiveness and equal rights for all citizens. This, of
course, includes gender equality in all respects. D.J.CI/CUP-CI
do not acknowledge the existence of any legal differences among
those holding Ivorian citizenship.
b)
Substantial regional autonomy under federalism.
Because each of the five ethnically distinct geographic regions
that comprise the country has differing needs and conditions,
D.J.CI/CUP-CI believe they should be able to govern themselves,
within the larger framework of the nation of Côte d’Ivoire,
in a way that reflects the interests of their citizenry and
culture. The regions must be set up in a way that respects the
integrity of each one without disadvantaging any of the others.
To D.J.CI/CUP-CI a federal state structure appears most
appropriate for the country.
c)
Traditional Ivorian values. “La politique de
l’arbre à palabre”
expresses a commitment to a deliberate process of collaborative
problem solving, in which no decision is taken until all
relevant viewpoints have been aired and understood. This
respectful and thoughtful way of handling the challenges of life
has served our people well for a long time. It will do so again,
especially in the painstaking work of rebuilding our state
institutions and healing the wounds of war.
d)
An educated citizenry.
No democracy can long stand unless its people insist that
their elected officials adhere to the principles of its
Constitution. Before Ivorians go to the polls, they must be
reached and informed by a powerful educational campaign that
instructs them on the rights and duties of democratic life. In
addition, the last decade of violence and instability has robbed
this generation’s youth of the education needed to hold jobs,
create small businesses, and take full charge of their own
well-being. A populace that knows only fighting cannot create a
healthy and peaceful society. This makes providing job and
literacy training to members of the warring militias an urgent
priority.
e)
A commitment to healing the wounds of war. The
wounds of war include post-traumatic stress disorder, which is a
prolonged subconscious shock state that erodes physical, mental,
and emotional well-being. War wounds also include the hatreds
that are generated by each side’s violence against the other.
South Africa has modeled a powerful process for healing those
kinds of wounds. The CI should be inspired by this example.
f)
A living Constitution written for the good of all
parties and born of genuine, inclusive, and ongoing dialog truly
expressing the needs and dreams of the Ivorian people.
A federal structure would address the differing needs of
the regions, while providing the cohesion that lends strength to
the nation as a whole.
g)
A solid economy. Cote d’Ivoire, being rich in
natural resources, situated on the sea, and blessed with an
educated and diligent citizenry, has most of the essential
factors required to support a thriving economy. To achieve our
economic potential we urgently need to establish peace.
We need to prevent the exploitation of our national
resources for the personal benefit of some individuals at the
expense of the nation. We
need to eradicate corruption and establish a strong and ethical
rule of law to attract foreign investment to assist our
development. An important
additional part of creating this solid economy will also
include reparations to those who have lost so much through war.
3)
Critical Needs to Realize this Vision
There are many important
needs that must be met to implement the vision of D.J.CI/ CUP-CI
for the CI. At this moment four main needs stand out: (a) the
need for fair elections; (b) the need for international
assistance for peace building and state reconstruction; (c) the
need for economic stabilization and development; and (c) the
need for thoroughness and patience in state reconstruction.
a)
The Need for Fair Elections
D.J.CI/CUP-CI consider
that free and fair elections, that do not exclude any sector of
the community are the essential foundation for sustainable
peace. Such elections should genuinely express the desires of
the population. Their legitimacy should be beyond doubt. For
this purpose, sufficient civic education needs to be provided to
the electorate. The
elections then need to
be conducted in an atmosphere devoid of fear or intimidation. No
actions that oppose peace, promote ethnic, racial, and religious
violence, or threaten the survival of the state should be
allowed. The exclusive nefarious concept of ‘Ivorité’, used
primarily as a tool for personal political gain by certain
political actors, has no place in future elections.
It is clear that such an election cannot be held without
a strong international peace keeping and electoral education
presence. D.J.CI and CUP-CI plead with the international
community to show a strong commitment to provide the necessary
means for this purpose. The process cannot be abridged for the
sake of limiting the expenses, if it to truly succeed,
fulfilling a precondition for future peace.
From the consultations
it has conducted, D.J.CI/CUP-CI are aware that a significant
segment of the Ivorian population concurs with these
assessments, and longs for a peaceful and fundamental change,
starting with honest elections.
b)
The Need for International Assistance for Peace-building
and State- reconstruction
Solving the current
situation and laying a deep foundation for authentic peace and
stability requires a thorough overhaul of the Ivorian political
system. That would be a formidable job
under the best of circumstances. Today given the anger, pain,
destruction, and divisions caused by over a decade of violence,
D.J.CI/CUP-CI believe the situation has passed the point where
our country can heal itself without significant outside help
from the international community.
To build a sustainable peace, assistance is required in
the fields of internal and external security, post-conflict
reconciliation, justice, civic education, administrative
capacity building, administrative reform and reconstruction,
economic reconstruction, etc.
The outside assistance
we require should be provided on the basis of a mandate from the
United Nations Security Council , which, in turn, could
designate implementing entities that could include the African
Union and Ecowas, for example. Even if no sovereign country
willingly invites foreign intervention into its affairs, we
should not loose sight of the fact that our present nominal
sovereignty has already been highly compromised by the
developments of the last few years.
D.J.CI/CUP-CI are of the view that the Côte d’Ivoire
has no other option at the present time, if we wish to
successfully correct the damage done to our country by the
conflict of the past years, than to seek a significant degree of
outside support so that we can lay the foundations for the
success we feel our country is able to achieve.
With that stipulation,
we are not afraid to say that we will require a sufficiently
strong UN-mandated peace building presence in CI for some time.
The damage done to our society and to our state institutions has
been such that we require entering into a temporary partnership
with the international community to assist us to manage and
secure our state reconstruction process and set the conditions
for our economic recovery. Bringing outside help will make
available valuable expert experience that will benefit the CI
enormously. Such a process will require us to candidly accept
that, as a consequence, our full sovereignty will be temporarily
restricted.
c)
The Need for Economic Stabilization and Development
Historically fertile and
wealthy in natural resources, CI has enjoyed an excellent
economy based on produce exports. With peace and stability,
there is no reason why we should not have that again. Providing
a hospitable climate to restore CI as a prime West African
destination for foreign investment requires policies that ensure
legal certainty, clean governance, appropriate administrative
regulations, bureaucratic efficiency, and fiscal incentives. In
addition, government policy should ensure that economic activity
is sustainable and environmentally friendly, and that it
contributes to social development and the equitable distribution
of wealth. It should also favor the economic interaction and
integration of CI with its regional neighbors in West Africa, no
less than the world beyond.
In this crucial time, it
is also important to devote sufficient effort to reintegrating
into the society those who have been combatants in the recent
conflicts. It must be clearly understood that these are people
who have been frightened and incited to violence by
irresponsible political leaders. They have been robbed of their
educational opportunities and these must be restored to them
insofar as it is possible to do so. They have an important role
to play to regenerate this country and it is crucial that we do
all that is necessary to equip them for that important task.
d)
The Need for Thoroughness in State-building
Following a thorough
approach to constructing stable and effective state institutions
is crucial to realizing the potential of CI to develop into a
successful and prosperous democracy. No superficial or cosmetic
substitute will do. We must make clear to outside benefactors,
the international community that the cost of an unstable CI
vastly outweighs the short-term costs required to do a proper
job at the outset.
With adequate support,
CI’s prospects for success are excellent. Historically open,
tolerant, and friendly toward immigrants until incited into
ethnic violence, CI welcomed large numbers of industrious and
enterprising immigrants from the region and as far a field as
West Asia and Europe. All
of these communities, as citizens and permanent residents,
helped to create one of the most dynamic economies of West
Africa. There is no reason why this success cannot be repeated
and expanded in future.
Realizing
the vision described and meeting these needs will require a
special type of government, a Peace-building and
State-reconstruction Government, working in close
partnership with the international community.
In the event that the
Pretoria peace agreements are honestly adhered to, CUP-CI will
continue to promote this vision and this approach to the
post-election governance of the country among the people of the
Côte d’Ivoire. CUP-CI feels strongly encouraged to continue
this promotional activity by the enthusiastic support for their
vision D.J.CI and CUP-CI have encountered from those sectors of
the population they have reached so far.
In doing so, CUP-CI aims to create a favorable climate in
the CI to help legitimize the required close peace-building and
state-reconstruction partnership with the international
community.
4)
A Peace-building and State-reconstruction Government for
Côte d’Ivoire
D.J.CI/CUP-CI would like
that the fair and well managed elections envisaged under the
Pretoria Peace
agreement will bring into office a President committed to a
fundamental policy of thorough peace-building and
state-reconstruction in partnership with the international
community. This President, and the government team he or she
would appoint taking care to include representatives of all
ethnic and religious groups, should invite the UN –either
directly or with the assistance of regional entities appointed
by it— to closely participate in the reconstruction of the
Ivorian state institutions and the protection of this process
through a Security Council mandate. Such a mandate should be for
an initial period of sufficient duration, and be extendable for
further periods as required.
This modality of
state-reconstruction of the CI could be a suitable undertaking
for the envisaged Peace Building Commission of the UN,
whose establishment has been recommended by Secretary General
Kofi Annan. With the full support of a new Ivorian government,
and with the necessary commitment for support by UN member
states, a peace- building and state-reconstruction partnership
between a new CI Government and a UN Peace Building Commission,
could lead to a successful result, setting a valuable precedent
for action to strengthen other fragile and post-conflict states.
D.J.CI/CUP-CI would like
to see the new Ivorian Peace-building and State-reconstruction
Government identify five regions (North, West, Center, East and
South, corresponding to the major ethnic and economic divisions
of the country) and set up an administrative system that is
decentralized enough to provide maximum local autonomy
consistent with the integrity of the nation. As soon as this
system is in place, planners should begin laying the foundation
for a future federal government structure for the country that
the people will certify when voting on a new Constitution, to be
written by representatives of all citizens of CI.
With the support of
foreign expertise and necessary resources, and the protection of
a UN mandated security force, the Peace-building and
State-reconstruction Government of the Côte d’Ivoire will
reform and improve the capacity of all state institutions and
service providers (Legislative, Judiciary, the bureaucracy,
Defense, Health Services, Education, etc).
This should also help to restore confidence of local and
foreign investors in the reconstruction and further development
of the Ivorian economy.
May
20, 2005
D.J.CI
and CUP-CI
President Modeste G. Seri
Email: movD.J.CI@aol.com
Tel/Fax: 212-283-8660 |
