Radio Soap Opera

Recent events have demonstrated that Côte d'Ivoire's future rests in a delicate balance between progress towards reintegration and gradual reconciliation in one eventuality and all-out civil war in the other. Rioting and protests in mid-January 2006 led to the evacuation of over 300 UN staff and sanctions imposed by the Security Council. As the government-allied youth group, the Jeunes Patriotes (young patriots), took to the streets setting up road blocks, threatening civilians and UN staff, and demanding that the rebels disarm, the country appeared on the verge of complete collapse. Yet on February 9, Côte d'Ivoire's national football team (the Elephants) found itself entering the final of the African Cup of Nations, having beaten Nigeria 1-0. In Abidjan, where three weeks before rampaging youth rioters controlled the streets, Ivorians of all ages and ethnicities danced together, blocking traffic, this time in celebration. In Bouaké, across the Force Nouvelles frontier, the same scene presented itself. Even President Laurent Gbagbo and Guillaume Soro (the leader of the Forces Nouvelles), two men who personify the four year civil war, echoed the same wishes and hope for the country's success. In fact, after each Elephants' win during their successful qualification for the 2006 World Cup, as well as each prior win in the African Cup of Nations, the same scene presented itself all over the country: a divided nation united in celebration of not the Northern football team, nor the Southern team, but of the Ivorian national team.

SFCG is currently developing a radio soap opera that leverages the opportunity presented by the 2006 World Cup and begins production in June. The soap opera's storyline draws on the popularity of the Ivorian team, which illustrated that it can bring together divided groups in common support during both the World Cup qualifiers and the African Cup of Nations. Through characters with which the general public can relate, the soap opera shows problems that people and the nation are facing, and presents different responses that people can have that result in varied consequences. This project maximizes the opportunity presented by Côte d'Ivoire's participation in the 2006 World Cup tournament. It is designed to contribute to SFCG's overall goal in the country: to reduce tensions among communities and groups, facilitate reconciliation, and strengthen social cohesion.

The Ivorian national team is as diverse as the country itself, with representatives from both the North and South and from many different ethnicities. Two of the most popular players come from the two main opposing ethnicities: Captain Didier Drogba is Bété (Gbagbo's ethnicitiy), while Kolo Touré is Djula (the ethnicity of former prime minister and Gbagbo's political rival, Allasane Outarra).

This program examines issues of national identity through the lens of two footballers who return home to Côte d'Ivore after having won a European Championship. The two individuals have changed, but upon arrival they realize that the tumultuous realities of Côte d'Ivore have remained unaltered. The program series draws upon the everyday conflicts that occur in Côte d'Ivore, ranging from issues centered on ethnicity, wealth, and politics. Audiences are able to see how these two characters confront and reconcile their differences with their communities that had become foreign to them. This type of reconciliation and transformation of thought is necessary if Côte d'Ivore is to resolve the past and unify under a collective identity. It is the hope that through soap opera series such as L'Equipe, people will recognize their commonalities and begin to solidify as a nation that makes steps forward for stability and peace.

The 26-part series is produced in French and began airing on 14 local partner radio stations (radios de proximité), as well as the nationally broadcast ONUCI FM (UN radio in Côte D'Ivore) on June 1. The program is aired three times per week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). The European Commission and Skoll Foundation fund the project.

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