Blackwell Reference Online

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Cǒte d'Ivoire gained political independence from France, the former colonial power, in 1960. For more than three decades to 1993, the Ivorian nation was ruled by President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who termed the era “la démocratie à l'ivoirienne” (democracy Ivorian style). Cǒte d'Ivoire enjoyed political stability and relative socioeconomic prosperity. However, with Houphouët-Boigny's death in 1993, Cǒte d'Ivoire faced political instability typified by ethnicization of politics, social protests, military coups, and civil conflict with secessionist undertones. The instability was accentuated if not caused by poor economic conditions precipitated by the drop in cocoa and coffee prices on international markets and the imposition of austerity measures by multilateral agencies. Under Houphouët-Boigny's rule, Cǒte d'Ivoire experienced its first post-independence violent protests in a series of demonstrations by students, civil servants, and other segments of organized society from February to April 1990. The demonstrators protested a myriad of policies perpetuated by the government: rising inflation, retrenchment, and the deterioration in the quality of life. The unrest was also caused by privatization of national companies, viewed as instigated by western governments through the International Monetary Fund (IMF). During a protest on April 19, 1990, angry students demonstrated against ... log in or subscribe to read full text