Violent Student Group Agrees to Peace-Building Dialogue in Côte d’Ivoire

In response to advocacy by Human Rights Watch and others, Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo publicly demanded that a violent, pro-government student group "abandon violence, criminality, and mafia practices forever." The government had previously failed to speak out against the group, the Student Federation of Côte d'Ivoire (Fédération Estudiantine et Scolaire de Côte d'Ivoire, FESCI). After Human Rights Watch launched a report on FESCI, the group took up our recommendation to participate in the peace-building activities of University Rights and Freedoms Watch, a university center for civic and non-violence education run by the Ivorian League for Human Rights. Since 2002-when a failed coup attempt plunged Côte d'Ivoire into a political and military crisis-members of FESCI perpetrated numerous acts of intimidation, murder, assault, rape, and extortion against members of the student community and perceived opponents of the ruling party, the Popular Ivorian Front (Front Populaire Ivoirien, FPI). We documented the Ivorian government's consistent failure to investigate, prosecute, or punish politically or criminally motivated violence committed by members of FESCI. Human Rights Watch continues to press the government to hold FESCI and similar pro-government groups accountable for their crimes. The president's recent statement is a positive step in that direction.