I. SUMMARY

Côte d'Ivoire is facing a political crisis that poses a serious risk that the country could plunge into the sort of brutal war well known to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone. The crisis is rooted in well-established divisions within Ivorian society and in particular within the military, divisions that have been deliberately exacerbated by government policy over the last few years. This is in turn linked to the government's failure to address the violence and intimidation that marred the presidential and parliamentary elections of late 2000. That this downward spiral in respect for human rights continues is not inevitable. But if it is to be avoided, both sides of the conflict must adopt inclusive policies to guarantee the protection of the rights of all people in Côte d'Ivoire regardless of their ethnic, religious, national, or political identity. The impunity so far enjoyed for past and present human rights violations must also be addressed.

On September 19, 2002, dissident divisions of the Ivorian army, who have since identified themselves as the Patriotic Movement of Côte d'Ivoire (Mouvement Patriotique de Côte d'Ivoire, MPCI), took hold of the northern Ivorian town of Korhogo and the central town of Bouaké. There was fighting in several parts of Abidjan, the economic capital, but government troops retained control there. The government has referred to the attacks as an attempted coup. Since September 19, the MPCI has succeeded in retaining control of Korhogo; Bouaké has been fiercely contested but also remains under MPCI control, as do a number of other smaller towns. The rebels also took and then lost the central town of Daloa. A cease-fire officially came into force on October 18, and appears to be holding. There are hopes that efforts led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) may lead to an end to hostilities and a resolution of the main issues underlying the crisis.

Human Rights Watch is concerned that the response of the government to the military revolt has not been restricted to legitimate security measures, but has rather tended, at minimum, to exacerbate existing divisions in Ivorian society and, at worst, to promote or cause human rights abuses. President Laurent Gbagbo was out of the country at the time of the attacks. He returned from Italy on September 21 and made a defiant speech that seemed to set the tone for the harsh backlash that ensued. He said the "rebels" appeared to have prepared their assault with heavy weapons from abroad, though he did not specify from where. He stated: "The hour of patriotism has struck, the hour of courage has struck, the hour of battle has struck. They have imposed a battle on us and we will fight it." He said he would call a demonstration within a few days so that everyone living in Côte d'Ivoire could show their allegiance. "In this country we have to know who is who and who wants what. There must be one side for democracy and the republic and one side against democracy and the republic and battle will be joined."¹ At that time Western embassies were warning about gangs of government supporters armed with machetes roaming the streets of Abidjan.² This coincided with the beginning of brutal razing of various neighborhoods in the city. The head of the Burkinabé community in the Agban district of Abidjan, Ablasse Rimtoumda, told Associated Press: "This is a terrible situation. People shouldn't do this to us."³

In many cases government security forces have carried out or tolerated serious human rights violations by others, including groups of youths, against individuals who are considered sympathetic to the rebellion simply by their ethnicity or religion. The members of the MPCI are largely northern Ivorians, and there have been allegations that they have received support from both or either of the governments of Liberia and Burkina Faso. Côte d'Ivoire hosts many foreign nationals, including more than a hundred thousand Liberian refugees and more than two million migrants from Burkina Faso. These and other foreigners, as well as northern Ivorians, have been indiscriminately blamed-including by government or pro-government spokespeople-for the rebellion. Despite a conciliatory speech by President Gbagbo on October 8, neighborhoods primarily occupied by northerners (who are mainly Muslims) or foreigners have continued to be raided and non-Ivorians arrested. Others have been arbitrarily arrested and killed for their political affiliation or presumed status as an "assailant," a term used by the government to describe anyone it views as supporting those responsible for the September 19 attack. The term "terrorist" is also widely used. In mid-October, people dressed in military uniform killed several dozen civilians-Ivorian Muslims, Malians and Burkinabés-in Daloa soon after the government regained control of the town. In the face of international criticism, the government has ordered an inquiry into this mass killing.

In response to the events following the attacks of September 19, a Human Rights Watch fact-finding mission visited Abidjan between October 6 and 16. The delegation interviewed numerous victims of the Ivorian government's most recent pattern of abusive practices. Due to the security situation, the team was not able to travel outside of Abidjan, and was therefore not able to investigate allegations of abuses committed by the MPCI. The absence of detailed accounts of abuses by the MPCI in this report should not therefore be taken as an indication that none have occurred, or that Human Rights Watch condones those that have; allegations of abuse by all parties deserve thorough investigation at the earliest possible moment.

Human Rights Watch calls on the government of Côte d'Ivoire to take steps immediately to halt the abuses described in this report. It is essential that Côte d'Ivoire honors its commitments to international human rights treaties, specifically the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which the government has ratified. Côte d'Ivoire is also bound by the Geneva Conventions and their two Optional Protocols.

In particular, the Ivorian government should make public statements that no person should be arrested or attacked on the basis of ethnic, religious or national identity, and that all credible allegations that individuals have been involved in criminal activity should be reported to the police and the persons concerned afforded due protection of law as those allegations are investigated. The Ivorian authorities should suspend from active duty, investigate, and prosecute where appropriate all members of the security forces accused of unlawful killings or arrests, or extortion, and should also investigate and prosecute civilians accused of such acts. Human Rights Watch calls on the MPCI to ensure that all its combatants are instructed to respect the human rights of all civilians and to treat all captives in accordance with international humanitarian law.

1 Matthew Tostevin, "Côte d'Ivoire-Ivory Coast leader promises total war on rebels," Reuters, September 21, 2002.

2 Clar Ni Chonghaile, "Insurgents hold two cities, as homes burn, and ethnic divisions flare in Ivory Coast," Associated Press, September 21, 2002.

3 Ibid.