Ivory Coast Heads to the Polls Amidst Crisis and Conflict

Ivory Coast, a country that has defied the trend of coups and instability in francophone Africa, is set to elect its president on Saturday, with incumbent Alassane Ouattara expected to secure a fourth term. However, the path to this moment has been marked by decades of turmoil, including a 2010 election dispute that led to violence killing 3,000 people and a post-2020 election violence that claimed the lives of 85 anti-Ouattara protesters. The country's economy, driven by cacao production, oil, and gas, has experienced rapid growth, with the International Monetary Fund forecasting a 6.4 percent increase in growth this year and next. However, the country faces a pressing environmental crisis, with 90 percent of its forests lost over the past six decades.

Key Takeaways:

• Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, has experienced decades of turmoil, including an army mutiny, a coup, and a military uprising that effectively cut the country in two.
• President Alassane Ouattara, a US-trained economist, is expected to secure a fourth term on Saturday, despite opposition from rival Laurent Gbago.
• Political violence in Ivory Coast has claimed the lives of over 3,000 people, with anti-Ouattara protests resulting in the deaths of 85 people in post-2020 election violence.
• The country's economy is driven by cacao production, oil, and gas, with the International Monetary Fund forecasting a 6.4 percent increase in growth this year and next.
• Ivory Coast has lost 90 percent of its forests over the past six decades, with the country's elephant population dropping by half in three decades.
• The country is home to internationally renowned musicians, including Alpha Blondy and Tiken Jah Fakoly, who have popularized forms of reggae and dance music around the world.
• Ivory Coast holds a privileged relationship with France, despite a decade-long crisis in relations in the 2000s, and has maintained its links with the former colonial power.

Statistics:

• Over 90% of Ivory Coast's forests have been lost over the past six decades.
• The country's elephant population has dropped by half in three decades.
• The International Monetary Fund forecasts a 6.4% increase in growth in Ivory Coast this year and next.
• The poverty rate in Ivory Coast stood at 37.5% in 2021, with the government aiming to reduce it to less than 20% by 2030.
• At least 1,300 people have died in demonstrations against a possible fourth term by President Alassane Ouattara.

Sources:

• "Ivory Coast, Oct. 25 -- The Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer and a centre of growth and stability in west Africa, goes to the polls on Saturday with President Alassane Ouattara expected to win a fourth term." - The Republica
• "It saw three decades of stability and prosperity under its first president, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, who only introduced a multi-party system in 1990." - The Republica
• "But after he died in 1993, unity unravelled. In 1999, an army mutiny was followed by a coup, the first in the country's history." - The Republica
• "In 2011, Ouattara came to power." - The Republica
• "The US-trained economist has dominated political life since, even as other countries in francophone Africa have been rocked by coups." - The Republica
• "It is the world's leading producer of cacao, the raw material for cocoa; also produces cashew nuts, and has a thriving oil industry." - The Republica
• "The International Monetary Fund has forecast a 6.4 percent increase in growth this year and next, after six percent in 2024, fuelled by the oil and gas sectors." - The Republica
• "The government has said it aims to reduce the poverty rate to less than 20 percent by 2030. It stood at 37.5 percent in 2021, according to the national statistics office." - The Republica
• "Ivory Coast is a country of reggae, with its internationally-known stars Alpha Blondy and Tiken Jah Fakoly. It also introduced the zouglou and coupe-decale dance music styles around the world." - The Republica