Villagers at risk as Ivorian elections stoke violence

Tensions are high in Côte d'Ivoire days before the run-off presidential election this Sunday. Skirmishes between supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo and challenger Alassane Ouattara have broken out in Côte d’Ivoire’s capital Abidjan in recent days. But ethnic tension is worse in the villages.

Reuters/Thierry Gouegnon

Gagnoa is 10 km from the town of Mama where president Laurent Gbagbo was born. This is Bété territory, where Gbagbo should be sure to win.

But most of the Bété here are concentrated in the city. Over the years, tens of thousands of people of Baoulé origin have moved into the area to work in the cocoa fields. And Baoulé don't vote Gbagbo – they're staunch supporters of former president Henri Konan Bedie.

First round results reflected this. Gbagbo won in Gagnoa, but Bedie won in the villages.
In this region where Bété and Baoulé intermingle, the election brings out the worst in ethnic tensions.
 

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Marco Chown Oved, Gagnoa

“Just after the first round, two Baoulé were admitted to hospital here after being attacked in their village by a group of youth, who accused them of not voting Gbagbo,” says Emile Kambou from the Ivorian movement for Human Rights in Gagnoa.

He adds that while election day was peaceful in town, in the villages, where there are no police, they received several reports of voter intimidation, and even violent retribution.

“Because the forces of order are concentrated in the city, people there are vulnerable,” Kambou says. “By the time the police get there, anything could happen.”

The Baoulé voted overwhelmingly for Bedie in the first round. But now that Bedie's out, he's asked his supporters to vote for Ouattara. But doing so opens them up to more intimidation from Gbagbo supporters.

“We want the security to be reinforced,” says Ahizabré villager Marcel Yao. “I almost had my motorcycle stolen while I was on it. I was driving out of town and these people even fired their guns into the air. I'm still here – but this has to stop.”

Voting is on Sunday, and both Ivorian security and the UN have beefed up their forces, promising a peaceful election day. The real problem is keeping tensions in check once the results start coming out in the following days.