Ivory Coast: A Ragtag Army Falls Apart -- Foreign Policy
When Alassane Ouattara finally took over the presidency in the Ivory Coast earlier this month, he did so with the help of a rag tag group of militiamen. There were the formal rebels from the country's brief civil war, known as the Forces Nouvelles. There were local men who picked up alongside the other regular fighters. And then there were the more pernicious militias, such as the so-called "Invisible Commandos" in Abidjan, who hitched their wagon to Ouattara's because -- for at least a moment -- their objectives aligned. What all these groups had in common was their desire to at last unseat an intrasigent outgoing President Laurent Gbagbo who had refused to step down for four months after a lost election.
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My Comment: I commented a few months ago that the Ivory Coast reminded me of Afghanistan with its different network of tribal groups, militias, and disgruntled war lords. All that I can say now is that let us hope that the new ruler (Alassane Ouattara), who has the legitimacy of a won election, does a better job than Karzai of Afghanistan.
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