Alassane Ouattara
Encyclopedia
Alassane Dramane Ouattara (alasan wataʁa; born 1 January 1942) is an Ivorian
politician who has been President of Côte d'Ivoire since 2011. An economist by profession, Ouattara worked for the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and the Central Bank of West African States
, and he was the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from November 1990 to December 1993, appointed to that post by President Félix Houphouët-Boigny
. He became President of the Rally of the Republicans
(RDR), a political party, in 1999.
Standing as the RDR's candidate in the 2010 presidential election, Ouattara placed second in the first round. In the second round, he faced incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo
; the result was disputed, with both Ouattara and Gbagbo claiming victory. Most sovereign authorities outside Côte d'Ivoire, including the United Nations Security Council
, accepted the validity of Ouattara's claim and recognized him as the new President-elect of the country. A major political crisis followed, effectively ending with Gbagbo's capture and arrest on 11 April 2011. Ouattara was formally sworn in by the constitutional authorities on 6 May 2011.
, Côte d'Ivoire, French West Africa
. Outtara's father's side of the family is from Burkina Faso
, a fact that twice barred him from running for the presidency. He is a descendant from his fathers side of the Muslim rulers of the Kong Empire
, also known as the Wattara or Ouattara Empire. He received a bachelor's of science degree in 1965 from the Drexel Institute of Technology, which is now called Drexel University
, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Ouattara then obtained both his master's degree in economics in 1967 and a doctorate in economics in 1972 from the University of Pennsylvania
.
Ouattara married his wife, Dominique Nouvian Folloroux
, who is a French Roman Catholic Pied-Noir
of Jewish descent in a 1991 wedding ceremony held in the town hall of the prestigious 16th arrondissement. Although there have been claims that the marriage ceremony was presided over by French President Nicolas Sarkozy
when he was mayor of Neuilly
, this was not actually the case.
in Washington, D.C. from 1968 to 1973, and afterwards he was the BCEAO's Chargé de Mission in Paris from 1973 to 1975. With the BCEAO, he was then Special Advisor to the Governor and Director of Research from February 1975 to December 1982 and Vice Governor from January 1983 to October 1984. From November 1984 to October 1988 he was Director of the African Department at the IMF, and in May 1987 he additionally became Counsellor to the Managing Director at the IMF. On 28 October 1988 he was appointed as Governor of the BCEAO, and he was sworn in on 22 December 1988.
appointed Ouattara as Chairman of the Interministerial Committee for Coordination of the Stabilization and Economic Recovery Programme of Côte d'Ivoire; while holding that position, Ouattara also remained in his post as BCEAO Governor. He subsequently became Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire on 7 November 1990, after which Charles Konan Banny
replaced him as Interim BCEAO Governor.
While serving as Prime Minister, Ouattara also carried out presidential duties for a total of 18 months, including the period from March 1993 to December 1993, when Houphouët-Boigny was ill. Houphouët-Boigny died on 7 December 1993, and Ouattara announced his death to the nation, saying that "Côte d'Ivoire is orphaned". A brief power struggle ensued between Ouattara and Henri Konan Bédié
, the President of the National Assembly, over the presidential succession; Bédié prevailed and Ouattara resigned as Prime Minister on 9 December. Ouattara then returned to the IMF as Deputy Managing Director, holding that post from 1 July 1994, to 31 July 1999.
, in a move that was viewed as being intended to prevent Ouattara's potential candidacy, the National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire
approved an electoral code which barred candidates if either of their parents were of a foreign nationality and if they had not lived in Côte d'Ivoire for the preceding five years. The Rally of the Republicans
(RDR), an opposition party formed as a split from the ruling Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI) in 1994, sought for Ouattara to be its presidential candidate despite the electoral code. In late June 1995, RDR Secretary-General Djéni Kobina met with Ouattara, at which time, according to Kobina, Ouattara said "I'm ready to join you". The party nominated Ouattara as its presidential candidate on 3 July 1995 at its first ordinary congress. The government would not change the electoral code, however, and Ouattara declined the nomination. The RDR boycotted the election
, along with the Ivorian Popular Front
(FPI) of Laurent Gbagbo
, leaving the PDCI's candidate, incumbent president Henri Konan Bédié
, to win an easy victory.
He was accused of forging these papers, however, and an investigation was begun. President Bédié described Ouattara as a Burkinabé
and said that Houphouët-Boigny "wanted Alassane Ouattara to concern himself only with the economy". Ouattara's nationality certificate, issued in late September 1999, was annulled by a court on 27 October. An arrest warrant for Ouattara was issued on 29 November, although he was out of the country at the time; he nevertheless said that he would return by late December.
On 24 December, the military seized power
, ousting Bédié. Ouattara returned to Côte d'Ivoire after three months in France on 29 December, hailing Bédié's ouster as "not a coup d'état", but "a revolution supported by all the Ivorian people".
A new constitution, approved by referendum in July 2000, controversially barred presidential candidates unless both of their parents were Ivorian, and Ouattara was disqualified from the 2000 presidential election
. The issues surrounding this were major factors in the Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire, which broke out in 2002.
When asked in an interview about Ouattara's nationality, Burkinabé President Capt. Blaise Compaoré
responded, "For us things are simple: he does not come from Burkina Faso, neither by birth, marriage, or naturalization. This man has been Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire."
President Gbagbo affirmed on 6 August 2007 that Ouattara could stand in the next Ivorian presidential election. Ouattara was designated as the RDR's presidential candidate at its Second Ordinary Congress on 1–3 February 2008; he was also re-elected as President of the RDR for another five years. At the congress, he invited the former rebel New Forces, from whom he had previously distanced himself, to team up with the RDR for the election.
At the time, Ouattara said publicy that he did not believe Gbagbo would organize transparent and fair elections.
The RDR and the PDCI are both members of the Rally of Houphouëtistes, and while Ouattara and Bédié ran separately in the first round, each agreed to support the other if only the other made it into a potential second round.
. Gbagbo, whose mandate had expired in 2005, had delayed the election several times. The Electoral Commission of Côte d'Ivoire missed the deadline for declaring the results as papers were snatched from an official who was about to read the results on live TV. Later on, on 2 December 2010, the Independent Electoral Commission of Côte d'Ivoire
(CEI) declared Alassane Ouattara winner of the second round of the presidential election. However, the Constitutional Council called this illegal because it was no longer in the hands of the Commission to give results. The Constitutional Council promised to finish its process and come out with results. The Constitutional Council has the final word on the outcome of elections. The head of the Constitutional Council then invalidated 500,000 votes from pro-Ouattara regions (which constituted almost 10% of the total vote), and thus, declared Gbagbo as the winner. The United Nations, which according to a 2007 peace deal is required to certify election results, rejected the Constitutional Council's figures.
The army closed the borders and foreign news organizations were banned from broadcasting from within Côte d'Ivoire
. Mr Gbagbo was sworn in at a midday ceremony by the President of the Constitutional Council on Saturday 4 December 2010. Hours later, Ouattara said he had also taken the presidential oath. The African Union
, the European Union, ECOWAS, the UN, the United States, and France were among the nations and international organizations that rejected Gbagbo's presidency. The International Monetary Fund
stated they would only work with a government recognized by the United Nations. On 8 December, the UN Security Council formally recognized Ouattara as the winner, and, in a statement
, asked "all stakeholders to respect the outcome of the election."
In the crisis that followed
, Ouattara attempted to negotiate with Gbagbo for several months but seeing no resolution, ordered a military offensive
which allowed him to seize control of most of the country. After an aborted negotiation attempt, Gbagbo was arrested by French special forces at the presidential palace and handed over to Ouattara forces in Abidjan on 11 April, 2011. The country has been severely damaged by the war, observers consider that it will be a challenge for Ouattara to rebuild the economy and reunite Ivorians.
The developments in the country have been welcomed by world leaders. U.S. President Barack Obama
cheered news of the latest developments in the Ivory Coast and CNN quoted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as saying Gbagbo's capture "sends a strong signal to dictators and tyrants.... They may not disregard the voice of their own people".
|-
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
politician who has been President of Côte d'Ivoire since 2011. An economist by profession, Ouattara worked for the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF) and the Central Bank of West African States
Central Bank of West African States
The Central Bank of West African States is a central bank serving the eight west African countries which comprise the West African Economic and Monetary Union:*Benin*Burkina Faso*Cote d'Ivoire*Guinea Bissau*Mali*Niger*Senegal*Togo-See also:...
, and he was the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from November 1990 to December 1993, appointed to that post by President Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny , affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux, was the first President of Côte d'Ivoire. Originally a village chief, he worked as a doctor, an administrator of a plantation, and a union leader, before being elected to the French Parliament and serving in a number of...
. He became President of the Rally of the Republicans
Rally of the Republicans
The Rally of the Republicans is a liberal party in Côte d'Ivoire. It is presently the country's governing party; the party's leader, Alassane Ouattara, is the current President of Côte d'Ivoire....
(RDR), a political party, in 1999.
Standing as the RDR's candidate in the 2010 presidential election, Ouattara placed second in the first round. In the second round, he faced incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo
Laurent Gbagbo
Laurent Koudou Gbagbo served as the fourth President of Côte d'Ivoire from 2000 until his arrest in April 2011. A historian by profession, he is also an amateur chemist and physicist....
; the result was disputed, with both Ouattara and Gbagbo claiming victory. Most sovereign authorities outside Côte d'Ivoire, including the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
, accepted the validity of Ouattara's claim and recognized him as the new President-elect of the country. A major political crisis followed, effectively ending with Gbagbo's capture and arrest on 11 April 2011. Ouattara was formally sworn in by the constitutional authorities on 6 May 2011.
Early life
Ouattara was born on 1 January 1942, in DimbokroDimbokro
Dimbokro is the chief town of Dimbokro Department of Côte d'Ivoire, located in N'zi-Comoé Region. The town is served by Dimbokro Airport.- External links :*...
, Côte d'Ivoire, French West Africa
French West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
. Outtara's father's side of the family is from Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, a fact that twice barred him from running for the presidency. He is a descendant from his fathers side of the Muslim rulers of the Kong Empire
Kong Empire
The Kong Empire , also known as the Wattara Empire or Ouattara Empire for its founder, was a pre-colonial African Muslim state centered in north eastern Cote d'Ivoire that also encompassed much of present-day Burkina Faso.-Early Period:...
, also known as the Wattara or Ouattara Empire. He received a bachelor's of science degree in 1965 from the Drexel Institute of Technology, which is now called Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Ouattara then obtained both his master's degree in economics in 1967 and a doctorate in economics in 1972 from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
Ouattara married his wife, Dominique Nouvian Folloroux
Dominique Folloroux-Ouattara
Dominique Folloroux-Ouattara is the current first lady of Côte d'Ivoire. Born as Dominique Nouvian to a Pied-Noir family in Constantine in French Algeria, she married a French teacher named Français Folloroux in 1979 and moved to Abidjan, the largest city and commercial capital of Côte d'Ivoire...
, who is a French Roman Catholic Pied-Noir
Pied-noir
Pied-Noir , plural Pieds-Noirs, pronounced , is a term referring to French citizens of various origins who lived in French Algeria before independence....
of Jewish descent in a 1991 wedding ceremony held in the town hall of the prestigious 16th arrondissement. Although there have been claims that the marriage ceremony was presided over by French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
when he was mayor of Neuilly
Neuilly
Neuilly is a common place name in France, deriving from the male given name Nobilis or Novellius:...
, this was not actually the case.
Career at financial institutions
He was an economist for the International Monetary FundInternational Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
in Washington, D.C. from 1968 to 1973, and afterwards he was the BCEAO's Chargé de Mission in Paris from 1973 to 1975. With the BCEAO, he was then Special Advisor to the Governor and Director of Research from February 1975 to December 1982 and Vice Governor from January 1983 to October 1984. From November 1984 to October 1988 he was Director of the African Department at the IMF, and in May 1987 he additionally became Counsellor to the Managing Director at the IMF. On 28 October 1988 he was appointed as Governor of the BCEAO, and he was sworn in on 22 December 1988.
Prime Minister
In April 1990, Ivorian President Félix Houphouët-BoignyFélix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny , affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux, was the first President of Côte d'Ivoire. Originally a village chief, he worked as a doctor, an administrator of a plantation, and a union leader, before being elected to the French Parliament and serving in a number of...
appointed Ouattara as Chairman of the Interministerial Committee for Coordination of the Stabilization and Economic Recovery Programme of Côte d'Ivoire; while holding that position, Ouattara also remained in his post as BCEAO Governor. He subsequently became Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire on 7 November 1990, after which Charles Konan Banny
Charles Konan Banny
Charles Konan Banny was Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from 7 December 2005 until 4 April 2007.Banny joined the Central Bank of West African States in 1976, holding various positions in the Bank over the years. In 1988 he became Special Advisor to the Governor of BCEAO...
replaced him as Interim BCEAO Governor.
While serving as Prime Minister, Ouattara also carried out presidential duties for a total of 18 months, including the period from March 1993 to December 1993, when Houphouët-Boigny was ill. Houphouët-Boigny died on 7 December 1993, and Ouattara announced his death to the nation, saying that "Côte d'Ivoire is orphaned". A brief power struggle ensued between Ouattara and Henri Konan Bédié
Henri Konan Bédié
Aimé Henri Konan Bédié is an Ivorian politician. He was President of Côte d'Ivoire from 1993 to 1999, and he is currently the President of the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire - African Democratic Rally .-Biography:...
, the President of the National Assembly, over the presidential succession; Bédié prevailed and Ouattara resigned as Prime Minister on 9 December. Ouattara then returned to the IMF as Deputy Managing Director, holding that post from 1 July 1994, to 31 July 1999.
1995 election
Prior to the October 1995 presidential electionIvorian presidential election, 1995
Presidential elections were held in Ivory Coast on 22 October 1995. They were boycotted by the main opposition parties, the Ivorian Popular Front and the Rally of the Republicans, resulting in only one candidate challenging incumbent Henri Konan Bédié, who in his role as President of the National...
, in a move that was viewed as being intended to prevent Ouattara's potential candidacy, the National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire
National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire
The National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire is Côte d'Ivoire's unicameral legislative body. Evolved from semi-representative bodies of the French Colonial period, the first National Assembly was constituted on 27 November 1960 with 70 elected member in accordance with the Constitution of 31 October...
approved an electoral code which barred candidates if either of their parents were of a foreign nationality and if they had not lived in Côte d'Ivoire for the preceding five years. The Rally of the Republicans
Rally of the Republicans
The Rally of the Republicans is a liberal party in Côte d'Ivoire. It is presently the country's governing party; the party's leader, Alassane Ouattara, is the current President of Côte d'Ivoire....
(RDR), an opposition party formed as a split from the ruling Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI) in 1994, sought for Ouattara to be its presidential candidate despite the electoral code. In late June 1995, RDR Secretary-General Djéni Kobina met with Ouattara, at which time, according to Kobina, Ouattara said "I'm ready to join you". The party nominated Ouattara as its presidential candidate on 3 July 1995 at its first ordinary congress. The government would not change the electoral code, however, and Ouattara declined the nomination. The RDR boycotted the election
Election boycott
An election boycott is the boycotting of an election by a group of voters, each of whom abstains from voting.Boycotting may be used as a form of political protest where voters feel that electoral fraud is likely, or that the electoral system is biased against its candidates, or that the polity...
, along with the Ivorian Popular Front
Ivorian Popular Front
The Ivorian Popular Front , known by its French initials FPI, is a centre-left, democratic socialist and social democratic, political party in Côte d'Ivoire....
(FPI) of Laurent Gbagbo
Laurent Gbagbo
Laurent Koudou Gbagbo served as the fourth President of Côte d'Ivoire from 2000 until his arrest in April 2011. A historian by profession, he is also an amateur chemist and physicist....
, leaving the PDCI's candidate, incumbent president Henri Konan Bédié
Henri Konan Bédié
Aimé Henri Konan Bédié is an Ivorian politician. He was President of Côte d'Ivoire from 1993 to 1999, and he is currently the President of the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire - African Democratic Rally .-Biography:...
, to win an easy victory.
President of the RDR
While serving as Deputy Managing Director at the IMF, in March 1998 Ouattara expressed his intention to return to Côte d'Ivoire and take part in politics again. After leaving the IMF in July 1999, he was elected President of the RDR on 1 August 1999 at an extraordinary congress of the party, as well as being chosen as its candidate for the next presidential election. He said that he was eligible to stand in the election, pointing to documents which he said demonstrated that he and his parents were of Ivorian birth.He was accused of forging these papers, however, and an investigation was begun. President Bédié described Ouattara as a Burkinabé
Burkinabe
Burkinabé may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Burkina Faso, a nation in West Africa* A person from Burkina Faso, or of Burkinabé descent. For information about the Burkinabé people, see:** Demographics of Burkina Faso** Culture of Burkina Faso...
and said that Houphouët-Boigny "wanted Alassane Ouattara to concern himself only with the economy". Ouattara's nationality certificate, issued in late September 1999, was annulled by a court on 27 October. An arrest warrant for Ouattara was issued on 29 November, although he was out of the country at the time; he nevertheless said that he would return by late December.
On 24 December, the military seized power
1999 Ivorian coup d'état
The 1999 Ivorian coup d'état took place on December 24, 1999. It was the first coup d'état since the independence of Côte d'Ivoire.- Background :...
, ousting Bédié. Ouattara returned to Côte d'Ivoire after three months in France on 29 December, hailing Bédié's ouster as "not a coup d'état", but "a revolution supported by all the Ivorian people".
A new constitution, approved by referendum in July 2000, controversially barred presidential candidates unless both of their parents were Ivorian, and Ouattara was disqualified from the 2000 presidential election
Ivorian presidential election, 2000
A presidential election was held in Côte d'Ivoire on 22 October 2000. Robert Guéï, who headed a transitional military regime following the December 1999 coup d'état, stood as a candidate in the election. All of the major opposition candidates except for Laurent Gbagbo of the Ivorian Popular Front ...
. The issues surrounding this were major factors in the Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire, which broke out in 2002.
When asked in an interview about Ouattara's nationality, Burkinabé President Capt. Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré has been the President of Burkina Faso since 1987 following a coup d'état that ousted then-President Thomas Sankara. In 2011, a mutiny by soldiers over unpaid housing allowances forced him to flee the capital for his hometown...
responded, "For us things are simple: he does not come from Burkina Faso, neither by birth, marriage, or naturalization. This man has been Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire."
President Gbagbo affirmed on 6 August 2007 that Ouattara could stand in the next Ivorian presidential election. Ouattara was designated as the RDR's presidential candidate at its Second Ordinary Congress on 1–3 February 2008; he was also re-elected as President of the RDR for another five years. At the congress, he invited the former rebel New Forces, from whom he had previously distanced himself, to team up with the RDR for the election.
At the time, Ouattara said publicy that he did not believe Gbagbo would organize transparent and fair elections.
The RDR and the PDCI are both members of the Rally of Houphouëtistes, and while Ouattara and Bédié ran separately in the first round, each agreed to support the other if only the other made it into a potential second round.
2010 presidential election and aftermath
In the 2010 presidential election, Ouattara ran against incumbent Laurent GbagboLaurent Gbagbo
Laurent Koudou Gbagbo served as the fourth President of Côte d'Ivoire from 2000 until his arrest in April 2011. A historian by profession, he is also an amateur chemist and physicist....
. Gbagbo, whose mandate had expired in 2005, had delayed the election several times. The Electoral Commission of Côte d'Ivoire missed the deadline for declaring the results as papers were snatched from an official who was about to read the results on live TV. Later on, on 2 December 2010, the Independent Electoral Commission of Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
(CEI) declared Alassane Ouattara winner of the second round of the presidential election. However, the Constitutional Council called this illegal because it was no longer in the hands of the Commission to give results. The Constitutional Council promised to finish its process and come out with results. The Constitutional Council has the final word on the outcome of elections. The head of the Constitutional Council then invalidated 500,000 votes from pro-Ouattara regions (which constituted almost 10% of the total vote), and thus, declared Gbagbo as the winner. The United Nations, which according to a 2007 peace deal is required to certify election results, rejected the Constitutional Council's figures.
The army closed the borders and foreign news organizations were banned from broadcasting from within Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
. Mr Gbagbo was sworn in at a midday ceremony by the President of the Constitutional Council on Saturday 4 December 2010. Hours later, Ouattara said he had also taken the presidential oath. The African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
, the European Union, ECOWAS, the UN, the United States, and France were among the nations and international organizations that rejected Gbagbo's presidency. The International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
stated they would only work with a government recognized by the United Nations. On 8 December, the UN Security Council formally recognized Ouattara as the winner, and, in a statement
Presidential Statement
A Presidential Statement is often created when the United Nations Security Council cannot reach consensus or are prevented from passing a resolution by a permanent member's veto, or threat thereof...
, asked "all stakeholders to respect the outcome of the election."
In the crisis that followed
2010–2011 Ivorian crisis
The 2010–11 Ivorian crisis was a political crisis in Côte d'Ivoire which began after Laurent Gbagbo, the President of Côte d'Ivoire since 2000, was proclaimed the winner of the Ivorian election of 2010, the first election in the country in 10 years...
, Ouattara attempted to negotiate with Gbagbo for several months but seeing no resolution, ordered a military offensive
Second Ivorian Civil War
The Second Ivorian Civil War broke out in March 2011 when the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire escalated into full-scale military conflict between forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, the President of Côte d'Ivoire since 2000, and supporters of the internationally recognised president-elect Alassane Ouattara...
which allowed him to seize control of most of the country. After an aborted negotiation attempt, Gbagbo was arrested by French special forces at the presidential palace and handed over to Ouattara forces in Abidjan on 11 April, 2011. The country has been severely damaged by the war, observers consider that it will be a challenge for Ouattara to rebuild the economy and reunite Ivorians.
The developments in the country have been welcomed by world leaders. U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
cheered news of the latest developments in the Ivory Coast and CNN quoted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as saying Gbagbo's capture "sends a strong signal to dictators and tyrants.... They may not disregard the voice of their own people".
External links
Alassane Ouattara.com Political Web site from Ouattara's circle of influence.|-