Author: Jean-Claude Meledje
Meledje, Jean-Claude, 2016 Côte d’Ivoire: A Crisis of Leadership from Houphouët-Boigny to Bédié, Gbagbo and Ouattara, Flinders University, School of History and International Relations
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This thesis examines the root causes and effects of contemporary conflict in Côte d’Ivoire,
focusing particularly on the period since the civil war broke out on 19 September 2002 after
a failed coup d’état. It assesses the roles of the key players in order to provide comprehensive
analysis of Côte d’Ivoire’s economic, political and social instability. Importantly this thesis
examines the key concept of Ivoirité to show how the ethnicisation of politics has shaped
conflict and crisis in this West African nation. Furthermore, this thesis argues that the root
causes of the conflict can be traced back to the period of Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the first
President of the independent, post-colonial nation, and his failure to successfully manage a
leadership transition from his generation to the next. During his three decades of rule, there
were no plans made for his succession, and thus when he ultimately died in office, political,
economic, and social instability resulted, plunging the country into ongoing crises and
conflicts.
Côte d’Ivoire is still recovering from the heavy consequences of the contested 2010
presidential elections between Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara, which caused
political-military crisis from December 2010 to April 2011. Ouattara, the new President, has
inherited a weak economy with high levels of unemployment, increased costs of living, and
rising insecurity. This situation continues to deteriorate as the country tries to recover.
However, this has led to a stalling of the national reconciliation process, which, as this thesis
argues, is one of the few vehicles for peace and stability to occur in the country.
Keywords: African Political transition
Subject: International Relations thesis
Thesis type: Doctor of Philosophy
Completed: 2016
School: School of History and International Relations
Supervisor: Tanya Lyons