August 2009

The political climate in Côte d’Ivoire remains one of hope as impressive strides have been made in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Accord signed in March 2007. On May 15th, the first round of presidential elections was formally rescheduled for November 29, 2009. Given the previous delays in the election timetable, the announcement of the date was met with scepticism by analysts who warned it could slip like others before it. However, the Ivorian government says it is committed to holding the poll aimed at reuniting Côte d’Ivoire.

The long and complicated tasks of voter registration and demobilisation of armed militias are both crucial steps in the electoral preparations. Registration has taken place in conjunction with the reconstruction of government records, permitting many people who lost their records to obtain new birth certificates. Though registration officially ended with over 6 million people registered, a debate continues as to whether or not to prolong the process until all eligible Ivorians have come forth, primarily because registration remained under 50% for the west of the country. The possibility of a delayed election has angered members of the UN Security Council, notably France which issued a statement on July 30 urging Cote d’Ivoire’s politicians to respect the November 29 date. The government has also been endeavouring to create a new Ivorian army, an 8,000 joint contingent of government forces and the Forces Nouvelles (FN), tasked with ensuring security throughout the country during the electoral process. However, logistical problems continue to hinder the contingent’s deployment.

With the formation of the newest administration, government authority has been restored across the national territory. Tribunals are being redeployed in certain zones in the North that have been under control of the FN. Furthermore, police forces have also begun to regain their functions in some regions. Despite all of this progress however, certain major problems remain to be solved. One key hurdle is the unification of the State treasury; secondly the completion of disarmament of armed groups as nearly 9,000 former rebels are yet to be reintegrated; and also the implementation of various reforms, especially those pertaining to land rights. The accomplishment of these steps is critical to the effective reunification of the country.

Building information bridges for broad participation in the election

A training on interview techniques for the electoral process in Korhogo

Over the past 30 months, SFCG has been implementing a project designed to mobilise citizen participation in the democratic process taking place in Cote d’Ivoire. SFCG recently organised a series of public forums on voter identification and registration and the impact of the recent reconstruction of important government records. These meetings provided an opportunity to link the greater public to the institutions responsible for policy-making decisions in these areas.

The idea to establish these forums came forth from a campaign for a non-violent identification process carried out by one of SFCG’s partners, Terre, a grassroots organisation in Bouaké. During Terre’s campaign in 14 villages and neighbourhoods surrounding Bouaké, the audience asked key questions, particularly regarding the papers necessary for identification, where to go to get them, who needed to undergo the identification and registration processes and who did not. Not able to provide all the answers requested, Terre flagged this information gap to SFCG. As a result, SFCG is now offering a platform for dialogue between the target Ivorian population and relevant government institutions.

These forums organised by SFCG break with earlier conferences and awareness-raising efforts on the subject, creating a more interactive forum that specifically target rural populations, and particularly women. This new method has been greatly appreciated by community members in the different cities, notably Bouaké, Korhogo, Guiglo, Soubré, Danané, and Man. Not only has the information need of the populations been met, but also their worries and fears regarding the electoral process have been greatly assuaged.

Local Actors for Peace: Community Facilitators

Group shot of the Community Facilitators in Sassandra

Since opening its programme in Cote d’Ivoire in 2005, SFCG has been working with community actors who have shown leadership in resolving conflicts, reinforcing their knowledge and skills in order to develop their credibility as local Community Facilitators of conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Over the four years, the Facilitators have participated in numerous trainings and information sessions, and followed them up with actions in their own communities. Previous Updates have highlighted examples of their initiatives.

In light of the upcoming elections in Cote d’Ivoire, SFCG has been working with the Community Facilitators to strengthen their preparation to play supporting roles in the civic education process. SFCG organised a joint planning session day on civic education awareness in Daloa. During the session, 14 Facilitators developed with activities that they could undertake in their respective regions to encourage increased dialogue around the electoral process.

With the support of SFCG, these Facilitator went on to organize 15 dialogues and exchange sessions involving members from their home communities all across Cote d’Ivoire. With discussion topics that reflected the issues of the differing communities, these sessions have addressed various themes ranging from the rights and duties of citizens, political tolerance, ethnicity, and good governance. Roughly 840 people participated in the sessions. For the most part, participants were generally youth and women from different political parties, though the occasional local or administrative authority made an appearance. Given the participatory and informal approach to these sessions, participants from diverse backgrounds were put at ease to discuss specific problems facing their communities and emboldened them to propose solutions for improved cohesion amongst community members. Additionally, some Facilitators, outside of the dialogue session setting, went on to promote civic education awareness in their regions, while others held reconciliation workshops in neighbouring villages. In Guiglo, female community facilitators established an association called "Messengers of Non- Violence", which aims to reduce tensions before, during and after the upcoming elections. As a result of their work, these Community Facilitators have also participated in conflict management and supported non-violent conflict resolution within their communities.