Cote D Ivoire Research Paper
Cote d’Ivoire has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It current demographic configuration suggests the influence of migration on the population by splinter groups from West African kingdoms of the 12th to the 17th century. Its present name – the “tusks coast” or “Ivory Coast”- reflects one of the commodities that most interested the European merchants who used to trade along the coast. The ancestry of the present inhabitants of the territory has been traced to and located in various groups, some of which have inhabited the same place for hundreds of years. The three main groups along the coast and the immediate hinterland include the Kru, the Kua-Kua and the Akan. Best known for their navigation skills, the Kru probably got their name
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Cote d’Ivoire’s robust export sector coupled with the success of Ouattara’s structural reforms, helped Bédié to weather the political and economic storms, preparing him to ward off challenges to the 1995 presidential elections. Gbagbo and his FPI also boycotted the 1995 elections which were marred by persistent demonstrations of students and trade unions. The results proclaimed a 95% win for Bédié. 1999 was a year of economic gloom in Cote d’Ivoire. The Agricultural sector that produced 75% of the country’s exports by value was in uproar. The crash in cocoa and coffee prices hit a seven-year low, forcing farmers to hold back on the sale of their stock, smuggling some into neighboring Ghana where prices were more favorable and even burning some in protest. Ouattara, the first PM, returned to the country after a stint at the IMF, to be appointed as the presidential candidate for the Rassemblement des Republicains (RDR). Persistent maneuverings by the Bédié government to thwart his attempts at proving his eligibility as a presidential candidate marked the rest of the year for him. The government issued a warrant of arrest for Ouattara. This provoked public anger, resulting in more street protests, the arrest of the entire top leadership of the RDR, jail terms for some and fines for others. Two days later General Guei struck in an army led bloodless coup that forced Bédié to flee for asylum in
Cote d’Ivoire’s robust export sector coupled with the success of Ouattara’s structural reforms, helped Bédié to weather the political and economic storms, preparing him to ward off challenges to the 1995 presidential elections. Gbagbo and his FPI also boycotted the 1995 elections which were marred by persistent demonstrations of students and trade unions. The results proclaimed a 95% win for Bédié. 1999 was a year of economic gloom in Cote d’Ivoire. The Agricultural sector that produced 75% of the country’s exports by value was in uproar. The crash in cocoa and coffee prices hit a seven-year low, forcing farmers to hold back on the sale of their stock, smuggling some into neighboring Ghana where prices were more favorable and even burning some in protest. Ouattara, the first PM, returned to the country after a stint at the IMF, to be appointed as the presidential candidate for the Rassemblement des Republicains (RDR). Persistent maneuverings by the Bédié government to thwart his attempts at proving his eligibility as a presidential candidate marked the rest of the year for him. The government issued a warrant of arrest for Ouattara. This provoked public anger, resulting in more street protests, the arrest of the entire top leadership of the RDR, jail terms for some and fines for others. Two days later General Guei struck in an army led bloodless coup that forced Bédié to flee for asylum in