Understanding the Dynamics of West Africa's Post-Cold War Security Complex: The Cote d'Ivoire Debacle

Date: 2006-11-14 to Invalid date

After nearly a decade of conflict in the Mano River Union countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, a country that was once hailed as a bastion of peace, stability and relative socioeconomic prosperity in the troubled region of West Africa, descended into internecine conflict in 2003. It all started, with the heated dispute over presidential elections of 2000. Be it as it may, the current crisis was ignited on 19 September 2002, after attacks on military installations in the capital, Abidjan, and other major cities—Bouaké and Korhogo—by about 800 soldiers, many of whom had been recruited by the country’s military dictator, General Gueï, and were ostensibly protesting against a planned demobilisation in 2003.

Since then, all hopes of a swift resolution of the conflict, through the timely interventions by ECOWAS, followed by the French initiative that resulted in the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement in 2003, have defied the odds of conflict analysts. Why is West Africa so prone to intense and catastrophic conflicts within the continent, in spite of the proactive role of ECOWAS; why has there been little progress made in dealing with the gross impunity that has characterised its conflicts; why is the Ivorian conflict proving such a hard nut to crack; why did South Africa run into trouble with the Ivorian peace process whereas it succeeded elsewhere in Burundi; and what are the prospects for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Côte d’Ivoire, and West Africa in general?

Once again this year, these and other fundamental questions that beg for answers will form the theme of the seminar that aims to provide deep insights into the dynamics of conflict in West Africa, particularly the debacle in Cote d’Ivoire.

Speaker: Amb James Emmanuel Kwegyir Aggrey-Orleans: former Ghana High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (1997-2001), with concurrent accreditation as Ambassador to Ireland; former Principal Political Affairs Officer and Senior Political Advisor at MINUCI (United Nations Mission in Côte d`Ivoire ) and later UNOCI (UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire) since 2003. Amb. Aggrey-Orleans will also be delivering the keynote address at the South African National War College (by invitation), on 13 November 2006.

Date: Tuesday, 14 November 2006

Time: 09h30 – 11h30 (preceded by tea)

Place: ISS Conference Room, Block C, Brooklyn Court, Veale Street, New Muckleneuck, Pretoria

RSVP: Ms Vuyo Mxego

Email: [email protected]

Tel: (012) 346-9500

Fax: (012) 460-0997 / 8

The seminar is organised under the auspices of the Training for Peace (TfP) Programme in Africa - www.trainingforpeace.org