• In Talks, Former Gbagbo Party Omits Côte d’Ivoire’s Victims
    Commentary
    May 8, 2012
    Les pourparlers de réconciliation tant attendus entre la coalition des partis au pouvoir dirigée par le président Alassane Ouattara et les partis d’opposition se sont, dans l’ensemble, achevés comme ils avaient commencé : le Front Populaire Ivoirien (FPI) a indiqué qu’il ne participera au dialogue politique qu’à condition que Laurent Gbagbo et d’autres anciens dirigeants du parti en détention soient libérés. Ces conditions préalables révèlent le mépris de l’élite politique du FPI pour les milliers de victimes d’actes souvent atroces de violence politique.
  • One Year On, Duékoué Massacre Belies Ouattara Government’s Promises of Impartial Justice
    Commentary
    Mar 29, 2012
    One year ago today, forces loyal to President Alassane Ouattara captured the western town of Duékoué as they swept through Côte d’Ivoire before ultimately arresting former President Laurent Gbagbo. After taking over the town, pro-Ouattara forces committed horrific abuses, killing several hundred people.
  • Statement Regarding the UN Independent Expert's Report on Côte d’Ivoire
    Oral statement
    Mar 21, 2012
    Human Rights Watch welcomes the Independent Expert’s engagement on Côte d’Ivoire after more than a decade of grave human rights abuses committed largely during episodes of political violence and armed conflict. In his first report, the Independent Expert highlights important ongoing problems related to criminality, the continued usurping of state functions by the Republican Forces in certain regions, and the need to end impunity in order to restore the rule of law.
  • Statement at the Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in Côte d'Ivoire
    Oral statement
    Mar 21, 2012

    In his first report, the Independent Expert highlights important ongoing problems related to criminality, the continued usurping of state functions by the Republican Forces in certain regions, and the need to end impunity in order to restore the rule of law.

  • Côte d’Ivoire: Lethal Crime Wave, Security Vacuum
    Press release
    Mar 5, 2012

    The Ivorian government should urgently address the rising violent crime in and around the central town of Bouaké, the country’s second largest city. The government should take urgent steps to disarm the former combatants widely believed to be implicated in the attacksand adequately equip the police and gendarmes to protect the population and investigate violent crimes.

  • Côte d’Ivoire: Inquiry’s Shortcuts Raise Red Flags
    Press release
    Feb 23, 2012
    Côte d’Ivoire’s national commission of inquiry investigating the 2010-2011 post-election violence should extend its mandate by six months to August 2012.
  • The Dark Side of Côte d’Ivoire’s Recovery
    Commentary
    Jan 31, 2012
    When I returned to Abidjan in mid-January, bright lights were strung across the bridge into downtown, proclaiming 2012 a year of reconciliation. I asked the taxi driver how things were progressing, and he said, “The Ouattara government does more work in 10 weeks than the Gbagbo government did in 10 years.” Formerly potholed roads are being repaired throughout the country, trash once stacked on the street is being collected, and treatment at state-run hospitals is largely free, even if patients must often pay for the medicine and tools doctors need.
  • Justice in Côte d’Ivoire
    Impact
    Jan 11, 2012
    Late in the afternoon on November 29, former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo was removed from his prison cell in the dusty northern town of Korhogo and served with an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC). He was then put aboard a plane to The Hague, where he now faces four counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, and persecution.
  • How many women does it take to win a Nobel peace prize?
    Commentary
    Dec 12, 2011
    In Norway on Saturday, three women stepped up to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2011. The awarding of the Nobel to Leymah Gbowee, Tawakkul Karman and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is a long-awaited and, some may think, overdue testament to women's courage. While just three women ascended to the podium in Oslo, the victory will be shared by many, many more -- and couldn't have come at a better time.
  • Côte d’Ivoire: Gbagbo’s ICC Transfer Advances Justice
    Press release
    Nov 29, 2011
    The transfer of former President Laurent Gbagbo to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for his alleged role in international crimes during Côte d’Ivoire’s devastating post-election violence is a major step toward ensuring justice. Human Rights Watch called on the ICC prosecutor to move swiftly on investigations for grave crimes committed by forces allied with the current president, Alassane Ouattara.