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59-406: Many violent clashes took place here between security forces and civilians during the 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis and Second Ivorian Civil War . Abobo, part of Northern Abidjan , is the northernmost suburb of the city, and borders with the boroughs of Attécoubé , Adjamé , and Cocody . It borders also with the city of Anyama , located a few kilometers in the north. The Université d'Abobo-Adjamé

118-463: A 5-year term concurrently with the president. It passes on legislation typically introduced by the president, although it also can introduce legislation. The judicial system culminates in the Supreme Court. The High Court of Justice is competent to try government officials for major offenses. There is also an independent Constitutional Council which has seven members appointed by the president that

177-476: A campaign of terror, and that death squads had been responsible for 200 deaths, 1,000 people wounded from gunfire, 40 disappearances and 732 arrests. He told The Guardian that "women have been beaten, stripped, assaulted and raped. When will the international community realise that a murderous insanity has begun in Ivory Coast?" Amnesty International said it had received increasing reports of atrocities in

236-615: A crowded market from a nearby military barracks. It was unclear whether Gbagbo or Ouattara supporters were responsible, though Abobo is generally pro-Ouattara. On 18 March, the UN issued a statement saying that the shelling was "an act, perpetrated against civilians, [that] could constitute a crime against humanity." Another 52 people were killed in continuing violence in Abidjan between 21 and 26 March. Opposition figure Guillaume Soro charged that Gbagbo's security forces and Liberian mercenaries had waged

295-422: A father or of a mother Ivorian by birth". In addition, the constitution lowers the minimum age limit for presidential candidates to 35 years and abolishes the upper age limit, which was 75 years. The president and vice-president were to run on a joint ticket (from 2020 ) and the latter would replace the former in case of death, resignation and any other vacancy. It was expected that President Ouattara would appoint

354-462: A mediator. The African Union had appointed Mbeki to lead an emergency mission to Côte d'Ivoire "to facilitate the rapid and peaceful conclusion of the electoral process and the efforts to find a way out of the crisis." However, he left the next day without a deal. Gabonese opposition leader André Mba Obame cited the events in Ivory Coast and the international recognition of Ouattara as Ivorian President as inspiration for declaring himself winner of

413-432: A new Senate . The senate was expected to represent the interests of territorial collectivities and Ivorians living abroad. Two thirds of the senate were to be elected at the same time as the general election. The remaining one third would be appointed by the president-elect. The two chambers share legislative functions and must approve all laws, including those relating to the budget. In case of persistent disagreement between

472-612: A number of attacks in March, attacking foreign businesses and UN offices in Abidjan on 1 March and killing at least six people attending a pro-Ouattara rally in the city. The northern suburb of Abobo was attacked by Gbagbo's forces on 13 March in a bid to drive out pro-Ouattara supporters, and mobs were also reported to be roaming the city looking for their opponents and attacking or killing them. The violence resulted in 10 confirmed deaths and scores more wounded. Abobo came under heavy attack on 17 March, killing 30 people, when shells were fired into

531-553: A peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis. In December 2010, several street protests were held in Abidjan. Hundreds of women joined the protests and banged pots as a warning about the arrival of the militias. The protesters were met with heavily armed security forces firing into the crowd and killing civilians. In February 2011, hundreds of youth protested in Abobo , a neighborhood of Abidjan. One man and one woman were killed by security forces who opened fire and used tear gas to disperse

590-611: A pro-Gbagbo neighborhood in Abidjan, but security forces prevented UN investigators from going to the site to check the allegations. Another mass grave was reported to exist in the village of N'Dotre, guarded by government militias. Clashes between rival ethnic groups seen as being pro-Gbagbo and pro-Ouattara killed 33 people in the central Ivorian city of Duékoué between 3 and 6 January 2011. 11 more people were killed on 11–12 January when fighting broke out in Abidjan between security forces and Ouattara supporters, some of whom were using automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades , after

649-466: A recount of the votes, along with the creation of a committee composed of international members that would oversee the recount. He also engaged in a diplomatic campaign to gain support from countries like Zimbabwe , while at the same time expelling ambassadors from the United Kingdom and Canada , countries that did not recognize his leadership. After the election, Gbagbo initially retained control of

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708-506: A resolution that "strongly condemned human rights violations that had taken place in Côte d'Ivoire...that occurred in different parts of Côte d'Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election." The resolution was criticized by Amnesty International as having insufficiently addressed the situation. Angola and Lebanon were the only countries to send their ambassadors to Gbagbo's swearing-in. The African Union —which, like

767-475: A strong majority. The proposed constitution had to be approved by a referendum, which was held on October 30, 2016. Based on provisional results given by the Independent Electoral Commission on November 1, 2016, the proposed constitution was approved with 93.42% of votes. The constitution includes many innovations. Under the constitution, a candidate must be "exclusively Ivorian, born of

826-477: A stronghold of Ouattara's supporters, there were many violent clashes between security forces and civilians. Aya Virginie Toure organized over 40,000 women in peaceful protests that were violently repressed. In an impassioned interview on BBC News , Toure compared the ongoing Second Ivorian Civil War to the 2011 Libyan civil war and asked for support from the international community . She called for military intervention to remove Laurent Gbagbo from power

885-532: A vice-president, after the new constitution was ratified. His choice must be approved be the Constitutional Council. A constitutional revision announced by Ouattara before the 2020 presidential election, confirmed the designation of the vice-president, appointed by the president with the consent of parliament. The parliament was to be composed of two legislative chambers: the National Assembly and

944-453: Is an elaborate hoax, claiming that the available video footage can hardly match the story. On 8 March, International Women's Day , 45,000 women held peaceful protests across the country. The women were met with youth armed with machetes and automatic weapons firing into the air at Koumassi . One woman and three men were killed in Abidjan by the army. As the violence continued in Abidjan, heavy fighting broke out in western Côte d'Ivoire at

1003-621: Is located in the commune. Its mayor of Abobo, elected in municipal elections of March 2001 is Maria Luisa Sesso who succeeded Koné Gogé . Among their predecessors, between 1985 and 1990 was the writer Aké Loba . Abobo is home to a railway station located on the road linking Ivory Coast to Burkina Faso , and a bus station. 2010%E2%80%932011 Ivorian crisis Anti-Gbagbo victory Gbagbo forces supported by : Ouattara forces supported by : International forces President of Ivory Coast Government parliamentary election local elections The 2010–11 Ivorian crisis

1062-578: Is responsible for, amongst other duties, the determination of candidate eligibility in presidential and legislative elections, the announcement of final election results, the conduct of referendums and the constitutionality of legislation. Ivory Coast is divided into five levels of administrative subdivision, but these divisions are not written into the constitution. It is divided into 14 first-level districts , 31 second-level regions , 108 third-level departments and 510 fourth-level sub-prefectures . By law, districts are to be headed by governors appointed by

1121-548: The 2015 Ivory Coast presidential election , President Alassane Ouattara promised a new constitution to replace the 2000 one, which he said was responsible for years of turmoil and war, with the First Ivorian Civil War and the Second Ivorian Civil War . On June 1, 2016, Ouattara created an expert panel to draft a new constitution. This draft was approved by the National Assembly on October 11, 2016, with

1180-524: The United States Department of State announced that it had imposed travel sanctions against Gbagbo and 30 allies. William Fitzgerald, the deputy assistant secretary for African affairs , said that trade sanctions may be imposed against individuals. On 22 December, State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley said that Ouattara's victory was irrefutable and reiterated U.S. demands that Gbagbo step down. Between December 2010 and March 2011, there

1239-535: The 1950s. Not unexpectedly, the 1960 constitution was largely taken (often verbatim) from the 1958 constitution of the French Fifth Republic . Like its French counterpart, the Ivorian constitution declares that all power derives from the people and is expressed through universal suffrage. It also mandates the separation of executive and legislative authority with limits on the power of the former. In its preamble,

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1298-688: The 2003 Peace Accords signed in the suburbs of Paris, the majority of the CEI must consist of politicians of the opposition ( Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire – African Democratic Rally and Rally of the Republicans ). Paul Yao N'Dre , the President of the Constitutional Council (a body that was viewed by the opposition as favoring Gbagbo, because N'Dre was considered an ally of the President), then took to

1357-478: The CEI's results indicated that Gbagbo could only be credited with victory if hundreds of thousands of votes were invalidated. At the heart of the dispute lies article 94 of the Constitution of Côte d'Ivoire , which reads: The Constitutional Council shall control the regularity of the operations of the referendum and proclaims the results. The Council shall decide on: The Constitutional Council shall proclaim

1416-536: The RFCI advanced rapidly across the country to seize towns along the eastern border with Ghana, the political capital Yamoussoukro and the key port of San Pédro . By 31 March the RFCI had reached Abidjan as fighting broke out in the city, with Gbagbo loyalists falling back to the area around the presidential palace. United Nations and French forces joined the fighting on 4 April with helicopter attacks on heavy weapons being used by Gbagbo's forces. Electricity and water to

1475-526: The Second Republic provides for a strong presidency within the framework of a separation of powers. The executive is personified in the president, elected for a five-year term. The president is the head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces, may negotiate and ratify certain treaties, and may submit a bill to a national referendum or to the National Assembly . According to the constitution,

1534-646: The United Nations, formally recognised Ouattara as the duly elected President—warned that the conflicting results and subsequent political crisis could result in "incalculable consequences", and sent former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki to mediate the issue. The US, UN, EU, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and former colonial power France affirmed their support to Ouattara. On 5 December, former South African President Thabo Mbeki held separate talks with Gbagbo and Ouattara, acting as

1593-474: The airwaves to say that the CEI had no authority left to announce any results, because it had already missed its deadline to announce them, and consequently the results were invalid. According to N'Dre, the passing of the deadline meant that only the Constitutional Council was "authorised to announce decisions on the contested results." It was widely presumed that the Court would issue a ruling favoring Gbagbo, although

1652-595: The ban. Approximately 1,800 people, including children and civil servants , had taken refuge in Abidjan's Saint Paul's Cathedral since the beginning of the crisis. Both pro-Ouattara and pro-Gbagbo forces were accused of having participated in the 28–29 March Duékoué massacre, where hundreds of civilians were killed. When asked by U.N. secretary general Ban Ki-moon, Ouattara denied the accusation against his forces, but agreed to conduct an investigation. Numerous peaceful protests of nonviolent resistance have been organized in Ivory Coast and internationally in support of

1711-529: The basis of the CEI's results, Ouattara maintained that he was "the elected President" and said that the Constitutional Council had "abused its authority, the whole world knows it, and I am sorry for my country's image". He had the clear backing of the international and regional community for his claim to victory, but top officers in the military appeared to stand firmly behind Gbagbo. The New Forces and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro both supported Ouattara's claim to victory; Soro said that he considered Ouattara

1770-661: The central government; however, by 2016, only two of the 14 districts have had governors nominated, so most of the districts have not yet become functional governmental entities. Each region and department is headed by a prefect appointed by the central government. Sub-prefectures are headed by sub-prefects, also appointed by the central government. In 2002, the country held its first departmental elections to select departmental councils to oversee local infrastructure development and maintenance as well as economic and social development plans and projects. Where needed, there are 197 fifth-level communes , each headed by an elected mayor. During

1829-557: The constitution establishing an independent republic. The 1960 constitution called for a strong, centralized presidential system with an independent judiciary and a national legislature. As in much of the Ivorian political system, French influence weighed heavily in the preparation of the constitution. Félix Houphouët-Boigny and its other authors had received much of their formal political education and experience in France, and Houphouët-Boigny himself had been in successive French governments in

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1888-572: The constitution proclaims its dedication to liberal democratic principles and inalienable human rights as expressed in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights . Under the rubric "Of the State and Sovereignty", the initial articles of the constitution describe the symbols of the state — the flag, the motto and the national anthem — and name French

1947-404: The constitution. The constitution guaranteed most of the usual rights and freedoms. Among those not protected, however, were freedom of the press and assembly. Following the bloodless coup of 1999, General Robert Guéï formed a government of national unity and promised open elections. A new constitution was drafted and ratified by the population in summer 2000. Ivory Coast's constitution of

2006-448: The controversial 2009 Gabonese presidential election , sparking an ongoing political crisis in Gabon. On 28 December, presidents Yayi Boni of Benin , Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone and Pedro Pires of Cape Verde arrived in the country on behalf of ECOWAS, to convince Gbagbo to resign and go into exile for the sake of his country, while declaring it was Gbagbo's last chance before

2065-493: The country's armed forces and the state media, but in part due to the international sanctions which limited Gbagbo's financing abilities, this control gradually crumbled and the offensive by Ouattara forces caused much of Gbagbo's armed forces to defect. Ouattara was at the first floor of the Golf Hotel in Abidjan while Gbagbo remained at the presidential palace. The hotel was guarded by about 800 UN peacekeepers, who had encircled

2124-476: The country. By March 2011, an estimated 450,000+ Ivorians had left the country, of which 370,000 were from the capital city of Abidjan . On 10 March 2011, it was announced that Gbagbo had banned all French and UN aircraft from Ivorian airspace, with exceptions only if the transport ministry approved. The ban was not challenged by the UN, which continued to fly helicopters despite the order; allies of Ouattara said Gbagbo had no legal authority with which to enforce

2183-493: The crisis entered a decisive stage as Ouattara's forces began a military offensive in which they quickly gained control of most of the country and besieged key targets in Abidjan , the country's largest city. At the time, international organizations reported numerous human rights violations, and the UN undertook its own military action with the stated objective to protect itself and civilians. A significant step in bringing an end to

2242-576: The crisis occurred on 11 April 2011 upon the capture and arrest of Gbagbo in Abidjan by pro-Ouattara forces backed by French forces. On 2 December 2010, Youssouf Bakayoko , head of the Ivorian Commission Electorale Indépendante (CEI), announced provisional results showing that Alassane Ouattara had won the Ivorian election of 2010 in the second round with 54.1% of the vote, against 45.9% for Laurent Gbagbo; he reported that turnout

2301-518: The crowd. On 3 March 2011, 15,000 women held a peaceful protest in Abidjan. Some were dressed in black, some were wearing leaves, and some were naked, all signs of an African curse directed toward Laurent Gbagbo. In the neighborhood of Abobo, they were met by security forces with tanks that allegedly opened fire on the women. Seven women were killed and approximately 100 were wounded. Gbagbo's police officers always denied any involvement of their forces, and Gbagbo's supporters argue that this incident

2360-446: The deployment of military force against him. On 20 December, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told a news briefing that it was "time for [Gbagbo] to go" and that "We stand ready to impose targeted sanctions, individually and in concert with our partners around the world, on President Gbagbo, on his immediate family, on those who are associated with him and those who continue to cling to power illegitimately." On 21 December,

2419-533: The end of February 2011 as the newly renamed Republican Forces of Côte d'Ivoire (RFCI) sought to close the border with Liberia , from where Gbagbo was reported to have recruited numerous fighters. A series of western towns fell to the RFCI between 25 February and 21 March as it advanced beyond the ceasefire line from the previous civil war. On 28 March the RFCI launched a country-wide military offensive as Ouattara declared that all peaceful solutions had been "exhausted". After heavy fighting in some central Ivorian towns,

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2478-490: The exact structure of the judiciary, a task that officially was to be done by the National Assembly. In fact, the assembly simply approved the president's plan. The ninth chapter establishes the Economic and Social Council (Conseil Economique et Social), the purpose of which is to advise the president on matters pertaining to economic development and social change. The final two chapters provide procedures for amending and adopting

2537-414: The final results of the presidential elections. Shortly after the announcements, the military sealed the country's borders. On 3 December, the Constitutional Council declared Gbagbo winner. N'Dre announced that the results in seven northern regions were cancelled, and on that basis declaring the outcome narrowly in favor of Gbagbo, who was credited with 51.45% of the vote while Ouattara had 48.55%. On

2596-472: The legislature's purview automatically fall within that of the executive and are dealt with either by decree or by regulation. It also stipulates that the executive and the National Assembly share the power to initiate legislation, but the pertinent article appears in the chapter dealing with executive — not legislative — responsibilities. In fact, for most of Ivory Coast's brief history as an independent republic, nearly all legislative programs have originated with

2655-539: The northern half of the country were also cut 2 March, with no immediate explanation for either event. On 18 December 2010, Gbagbo ordered peacekeeping forces from the United Nations and France to leave the country; the government issued a statement saying that it " demands the departure of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire and Opération Licorne forces in Ivory Coast and is opposed to any renewal of their mandate." In January 2011, Gbagbo requested

2714-479: The official language. Articles 3 to 7 delineate the fundamental rights and principles pertaining to Ivorian citizenship: universal suffrage, popular sovereignty and equality before the law. Significantly, in light of the government's subsequent coercive support of a single political party, Article 7 formally allows a multiparty system. The first chapter directs that the government consist of executive, legislative and judicial branches. The three subsequent chapters list

2773-472: The police attempted to conduct a raid in a pro-Ouattara district of Abidjan. The same area was the scene of further clashes on 21–22 February when police again attempted to raid it. 12 opposition supporters were killed when security forces fired machine guns and launched rocket-propelled grenades in the neighbourhood; the next day, opposition fighters ambushed government gendarmes (paramilitary police) and killed 10–15 of them. Gbagbo's supporters carried out

2832-448: The powers accruing to each. The Ivorian Constitution provides for a strong executive, although it couches the language of power in democratic terms. For example, in keeping with the articulated principle of popular sovereignty, it provides that the National Assembly shall vote laws and consent to taxes but then limits the assembly's power by specifying exactly the matters on which the legislature may act. Matters constitutionally excluded from

2891-459: The president and have been rubber-stamped by the assembly. The constitution also calls for a separate judiciary. As with the legislature, however, it makes the judiciary subordinate to the individual who guarantees its independence, that is, the president. It neither establishes nor protects a judiciary independent of or opposed to the government. It does provide for the Supreme Court and a subordinate court system; nevertheless, it does not stipulate

2950-455: The president of the National Assembly assumes the presidency for 45–90 days in the event of a vacancy and organizes new elections in which the winner completes the remainder of the deceased president's term. The president selects the prime minister, who is the head of government. The cabinet is selected by and is responsible to the prime minister. The unicameral National Assembly is composed of 225 members elected by direct universal suffrage for

3009-478: The rightful President and offered his resignation to Gbagbo on 4 December. Gbagbo was sworn in for another five-year term on 4 December, defiantly declaring: "I will continue to work with all the countries of the world, but I will never give up our sovereignty." Sporadic violence and gunfire were reported in various parts of the country, including Abidjan . Gbagbo appointed a new Prime Minister, Gilbert Aké , on 5 December; Aké, an economist and university president,

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3068-585: The same way Charles Taylor was removed in the Second Liberian Civil War . On 18 December, a United Nations spokesperson said in response to a Gbagbo demand that foreign armed troops leave the country that the UN did not consider Gbagbo to be the president, and that peacekeepers would continue to support and protect both Alassane Ouattara and Ivorian citizens. On 23 December 2010, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed

3127-418: The site with coiled razor wire and guarded the premises with white UN armored personnel carriers and security checks for visitors. Constitution of Ivory Coast The Constitution of Ivory Coast was approved by referendum on October 30, 2016, and officially adopted on November 8, 2016. Ivory Coast has had three constitutions. On October 31, 1960, the National Assembly of Ivory Coast adopted

3186-400: The state to promote women's participation in public affairs, the modalities of implementation of which must be given effect in subsequent laws. Furthermore, the state should act to ensure gender equality in employment and to encourage women to occupy posts of responsibilities. Considering that the draft does not establish a specific organization dedicated to promoting women's rights, this will be

3245-435: The two chambers, the president of the republic can request the assembly to adopt definitively the law. The bill of rights strengthens the rights of vulnerable groups, particularly children, women and persons with disabilities. It makes the right to education compulsory for children, boys and girls. The prohibition of child labor further lays the background for the implementation of the right to education. The draft also requires

3304-457: Was 81.09%. Results had been expected and then postponed for days, beyond the deadline, and Bakayoko's appearance to announce the results—at an Abidjan hotel heavily guarded by the UN—took the press by surprise. Bakayoko reportedly chose to announce the results at the hotel, which Ouattara had been using as "his base", because he wanted to have the security of UN protection when doing so. According to

3363-540: Was a political crisis in Ivory Coast which began after Laurent Gbagbo , the President of Ivory Coast since 2000, was proclaimed the winner of the Ivorian election of 2010 , the first election in the country in 10 years. The opposition candidate, Alassane Ouattara , and a number of countries, organisations and leaders worldwide claimed Ouattara had won the election. After months of attempted negotiation and sporadic violence,

3422-439: Was a series of sporadic outbreaks of violence between Gbagbo's militias and security forces on the one hand and Ouattara's supporters on the other, primarily in the city of Abidjan, where both sides had large numbers of supporters. On 16 December 2010, clashes between opposition supporters and security forces in Abidjan and Yamoussoukro left 44 people dead. It was alleged that a mass grave of opposition supporters had been dug in

3481-465: Was already regarded as close to Gbagbo. Ouattara himself was sworn in separately shortly after, saying that "Ivory Coast is now in good hands". Ouattara then re-appointed Soro as his prime minister. There had been rallies from pro-Gbagbo and pro-Ouattara sides. Simone Gbagbo , wife of Laurent Gbagbo, gave a speech in the pro-Gbagbo rally on 15 January 2011. Ivorian forces have fired live bullets to disperse protesters. In Abobo , an Abidjan suburb and

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