Conflict Management Training for Traditional Leaders in Côte d’Ivoire

While traditional leaders are often outside of the mainstream political life in Côte d’Ivoire, they play an important role in the Ivoirian society, commanding influence and respect across the country, particularly in some of the most divided communities. However, high-profile traditional leaders were not able to help preventing and mitigating the conflict that embroiled the country in 2010 and 2011. Though Côte d’Ivoire as a whole is peaceful, political rivalries, exacerbated by conflict over land ownership, arms circulation and insecurity, contribute to a continuing atmosphere of distrust between ethnic groups. Because this particular group of leaders has a unique role for national social cohesion, they can become key agents to prevent future conflicts and build lasting peace in this country. They are both a critical component of conflict resolution processes in the daily life of Ivoirians at the local level, and also respected voices on the national scene.

In the framework of the two-year initiative "Avançons Ensemble", funded by the State Deparment's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Search for Common Ground is engaging high profile traditional leaders from all 30 regions of Côte d'Ivoire to become positive actors in the national reconciliation process. These activities were requested by a group of the principal Tribal Chiefs during an assessment mission following the electoral crisis in 2011. Therefore, SFCG reinforced their capacities by carrying out a ‘conflict transformation workshop’ for a group of the most respected traditional leaders.  They were identified by Amoa Urbain, an Ivorian scholar and consultant for the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire. This specialist in "traditional leaders diplomacy" used a careful methodology to identify a representative, credible, and balanced group of traditional leaders.

This two-day activity took place on December 19th and 20th in the political capital of Côte d'Ivoire, Yamoussoukro. A traditional ceremony of benediction was undertaken by local traditional leaders to bless this activity. During the launching ceremony in the renowned "Hôtel Président" with national TV and press coverage, US Ambassador Phillip Carter III, SFCG's Country Director Quentin Kanyatsi, along with the local authorities pledged traditional leaders to help them becoming agents of change for societal transformation in Côte d'Ivoire. As stated by SFCG's Country Director:  "traditional kings and chiefs in Côte d'Ivoire are the roots of this beautiful tree which is Côte d'Ivoire".

This workshop allowed participants to share best practices and develop new strategies to manage conflict and participate to the reconciliation process, using conflict transformation skills acquired during this workshop. With the support and monitoring of SFCG, traditional leaders will carry out reconciliation events to unite around their legitimacy in their respective community. Following this activity, these leaders are also currently developing a national traditional platform for conflict prevention in Côte d'Ivoire. To close this remarkable activity, the Governor of the District of Yamoussoukro invited these high-profile traditional leaders for a dinner in his mansion, to thank them for their involvement in this critical time for the national reconciliation process.