The war torn Cote d'Ivoire is the world largest producer of cacao, known for its poor working conditions at cacao farms.
The former French colonies has enjoyed certain gives and takes when Houphouet-Boigny reigned the nation for 33 years. When he died in his office in 1993, the nation went through a turmoil which lead to a coup in 1999. Laurent Gbagbo took office as a president of Cote d'Ivoire in 2000 overturning the coup by "taking people to the street". In 2002, a civil war erupted and Forces nouvelles (FN) occupied more than half of the northern part of the nation. The coalition government formed after the civil war collapsed in 2004 and the Cote d'Ivoire forces' friendly fired killed nine French soldiers in Bouake. The French forces destroyed all fighter jets in return. The presidential election expected in 2005 was postponed and the protests turned into riots in 2006.
In November 2010, the election committee declared Alassane Ouattara as the winner of the runoff while the Constitutional Council claimed the results as fraudulent and claimed Laurent Gbagbo the winner. The UN, US, EU, and AU endorsed Ouattara as the democratically elected leader of Cote d'Ivoire. ECOWAS and AU suspended Cote d'Ivoire from their membership. The World Bank and the West African Bank have frozen Gbagbo's assets.
The former French colonies has enjoyed certain gives and takes when Houphouet-Boigny reigned the nation for 33 years. When he died in his office in 1993, the nation went through a turmoil which lead to a coup in 1999. Laurent Gbagbo took office as a president of Cote d'Ivoire in 2000 overturning the coup by "taking people to the street". In 2002, a civil war erupted and Forces nouvelles (FN) occupied more than half of the northern part of the nation. The coalition government formed after the civil war collapsed in 2004 and the Cote d'Ivoire forces' friendly fired killed nine French soldiers in Bouake. The French forces destroyed all fighter jets in return. The presidential election expected in 2005 was postponed and the protests turned into riots in 2006.
In November 2010, the election committee declared Alassane Ouattara as the winner of the runoff while the Constitutional Council claimed the results as fraudulent and claimed Laurent Gbagbo the winner. The UN, US, EU, and AU endorsed Ouattara as the democratically elected leader of Cote d'Ivoire. ECOWAS and AU suspended Cote d'Ivoire from their membership. The World Bank and the West African Bank have frozen Gbagbo's assets.