BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF PROFESSIONALS

Course Name: UN Peace Support Operations

Course Code: IR-4836
Topic: United Nations Operations in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI)
Title: United Nations Operations in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI): France
in UNOCI

Submitted to:
NUSRAT JAHAN JEBIN
Lecturer
Faculty of Business and Social Science,
Department of International Relations
Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)
Submitted by:
LT NAVID AFNAN NINAD
Roll No: 7811269
Department of International
Relations
Faculty of Business and Social
Scienceay, 202
Abstract:

The paper contains a Brief discussion on the Ivorian emergency that won inside the country for a
while longer than 10 years. The mediation of France and furthermore the UN inside the nation
to alleviate the contention was the main core interest. When the refusal of the past president
Laurent Gbagbo to venture down from the capacity and his hostile dissent to the alleviations
offered to him, the UN and furthermore the French armed force needed to direct hostile activities
too in light of the fact that the revolutionary powers of the Ouattara armed force couldn't get
laid alone. The mission was one in everything about tough tasks of the UN harmony support
activities and encased forceful guidelines of commitment. in this way the French military powers
and furthermore the UN soldiers interceded and place a completion to the contention. France
was considered as an unfortunate entertainer during this case by the worldwide local area in
view of its previous history inside the pioneer nations inside the African district. Anyway France
demonstrated to be an extraordinarily vital entertainer to uphold harmony to the contention.
Acknowledgement:

First of all, I am very thankful to Allah who is the most beneficent and most merciful. This term
paper has been completed due to support of many people and I wish to acknowledge them here. I
deeply appreciate our respectable course instructor, Lecturer Nusrat Jahan Jebin, who has
contributed a considerable measure in our regularly developing enthusiasm for UN Peace
Support Operations and has tried to make us understand deeply about peacekeeping mission. I
am obligated to you for your genuineness, support, and direction.

I am also thankful to my respected parents, relatives, friends and others who in one way or
another shared their support, morally, financially or physically.
Contents

Introduction:................................................................................................................................................6
Central Research Question:.........................................................................................................................6
Research Methodology:...............................................................................................................................7
Method:.......................................................................................................................................................7
Data Collection method:..............................................................................................................................7
Literature review:........................................................................................................................................8
Theoretical framework:......................................................................................................Target not found!
Research Finding:......................................................................................................................................11
Analysis:....................................................................................................................................................13
Theoretical and policy implications:..........................................................................................................14
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................................15
Bibliography..............................................................................................................................................16

List of Abbreviations:
AU- African Union.

EU- European Union.

UN- United Nations.

UNOCI- United Nations Operations in Cote d’Ivoire.

MINUCI- United Nations Mission in Cote d’Ivoire.

ECOWAS- Economic Community of West African States.

ECOMICI- ECOWAS Mission in Cote d’Ivoire.

List of figures and tables:

 MINUCI was founded on 13 May, 2003.

 MINUCI ended on 4 April, 2004.

 UNOCI was initiated on 4 April, 2004 with the MINUCI ending.

 The Ivorian election was held on 28 November, 2010.

Introduction:

Cote d’Ivoire, once thought of as a model nation among the African countries for his or her
economic and political advancement, has been managing a really serious internal crisis that has
been prevailing and gathering international attention for a fundamental quantity surpassing a
decade. The conflict at first evolved thanks to the emergence of rebels from at intervals the
country, opposing the afraid policies fashioned by the previous president of Cote d'Ivoire,
Laurent Gbagbo. The rebels supported Alassane Outtara because the legitimate leader and so
denied the rule of Gbagbo. This LED to the conflict wherever United Nations intervention was
necessary and UNOCI came to perform when the top of the tiny political missions MINUCI. The
operation was beneath the chapter seven of the United Nations charter that meant to travel for
aggressive rules of engagement. With the first objective that aims to implement the peace
agreement between the 2 parties Associate in Nursing thereby bring a finish to the Ivorian war,
the UNOCI began to perform at full scale from four Apr, 2004. though the rebels were in hand at
hand with the French forces and also the French government compete a negative role within the
terribly early stage of the conflict, they intervened into the conflict as presently because the war
between the 2 parties began to evolve. during this paper, the Ivorian conflict, United Nations
operations and French intervention are mentioned with major concentrate on the justification of
the role of the French forces during this conflict. The discussions are wiped out specific
components like – the theoretical framework wherever the most reason of the conflict and also
the perceptions of each the parties would be mentioned. The analysis findings would demonstrate
the actions of the parties and United Nations at completely different times concerning the
UNOCI. Then the actions would be tried to be analyzed. Finally, there'll be a theoretical
implication before terminal.

Central Research Question:

How can the actions of the French be justified in the UNOCI?

Research Methodology:

The information is gathered for this paper is secondary information. All the information that used
in here is qualitative and descriptive. My research is designed on 3 sectors Aim, Technique, Size

Aim Discuss about the main cause of the Ivorian conflict and justify the French
intervention with the compliment of the UN mission being operative in the conflict.
Techniques Information is gathered from secondary sources.

Size It will give answer the central research question. My audience will get an overview
of the Ivorian conflict, UN involvement and French intervention.

Method: Qualitative Method of Research.

Data Collection method:

To execute the study different types of secondary data are needed. I could not take primary data
because of the time shortage and also because of lockdown going on all over the country and
secondary data is more available and low cost. I will collect the secondary data from online
journal, article, related books as well as online survey. I divided the process into two different
parts.

Data source:

We collect the data from secondary sources

I. Secondary Sources
As primary data is not fully available because of time availability and unwanted circumstances. I
will collect some secondary data to get the possible outcomes.

i. Related journals and articles

ii. Online articles and e-books

Literature review:

France's Conflict Resolution Strategy in Cote d'Ivoire and its Ethical Implications-Maja Bovcon.

The creator assessed the compromise technique of France in record to Cote d'Ivoire's inner
elements and other worldwide settings, explicitly throughout the most recent twenty years. Given
to the exercises of the French military powers in the 1994 Rwanda massacre, such an
intercession in the African mainland turned out to be amazingly hazardous. In spite of the
obstruction, France's compromise technique ended up being very viable and fruitful. France was
effective in seeking after their inclinations with all the public assist they with giving, upheld by
the global help. Albeit global help was significantly present, a large portion of the worldwide
players to act the legitimate inspiration and capacity to adapt to the security issues inside the
country. Subsequently, it turned into a factor behind improving the authenticity of the France's
compromise system.

The Ivorian emergency, above everything has been named as a social conflict between the
Muslims of the North and the Christians of the South, the ethnic gatherings of savannah with the
ethnic gatherings of the timberland zone. An undeniably a greater amount of an 'instrumentalist'
approach of the term nationality prompts its utilization in battle of force. The emergency is
fundamentally a complex issue where identity is only an applicable distinctive factor in the wake
of being firmly identified with numerous different issues like the monetary emergency, financial
and political separation, land, movement strategy, progression battle and, in particular,
autochthony and citizenship. Once more, every one of these components, as expressed by the
creator, add to perhaps the most sly and instrumentally mishandled terms in late Ivorian history,
Ivoirite, which was begat by the previous president Henri Konan Bedie. The term was surely
open to the most xenophobic understandings.

Many view the Ivorian emergency to be the tradition of Houphouet-Boigny's despotic system, a
common fascism that sabotaged a popularity based discussion where individuals could
communicate their dreams of the public inquiry that may have in any case prompted a genuine
common agreement. Houphouet-Boigny's advancement project comprised of an arrangement 'the
land has a place with whoever needs to develop it.' This caused the dispersion of the rich grounds
of the southwest locale to a great deal of migrant specialists from the adjoining nations. This
implied that the autochthonous populace of the southwest area became minorities in their own
locales. Laurent Gbagbo discovered very some steadfast allies, attributable to his xenophobic
strategies, among the jobless adolescents from the south whom he utilized to lead assaults and
annihilate not many Dioula shops. Alassane Ouattara then again, accumulated similarly dynamic
care groups.

France was quick to mediate into the tangled circumstance, just following 3 days of a bombed
military overthrow by the revolutionaries. At first, the military mediation kept to the insurance
and departure of the French regular people and residents. Other than the American residents who
were emptied by the American exceptional soldiers, the French military safeguarded different
residents with solicitation of their nation's administration. The subsequent entertainer to intercede
the compromise plan in the tangled zone was the ECOWAS. The ECOWAS reacted on the
strategic level. By orchestrating culminations like in Accra on the 29 Sep 2002 with respect to
the new occasions events like the making of contact bunches occurred which worked with the
exchange between the dissident gatherings. Albeit the approved strength of the ECOWAS
mission was too little to even think about executing the concurred mission and was lessened
since numerous nations didn't contribute officers because of numerous reasons. Just 500
ECOWAS troops were sent on the Ivorian ruin while the French power previously numbered in
excess of 3,000 men. The last entertainer to intercede the contention was the United Nations. The
UNSC received goal 1479 on 13 May 2003 that set up a basically political United Nation
Mission in Cote d'Ivoire (MINUCI) with the commands to just notice and work with the
execution of the Linas-Marcoussis concurs, that intended to protect the uprightness of the Ivorian
domain and to set up a momentary legislature of National Reconcilation made out of delegates,
everything being equal, and drove by an agreement leader, with the military assistance of
Licorne and ECOMICI.

France was without a doubt a significant middle person in the contention between the fighting
gatherings. The unrivaled operational abilities and supplies of the French Army that till the
current day keeps an army installation in the Ivorian region can clarify the meaning of France's
contribution in the emergency. Regardless of the feelings of trepidation communicated by the
worldwide associations flowing the conceivable reiteration of the Rwandan massacre and further
misfortunes to the African district, it was France, the previous pioneer influence for the Ivorians,
which interceded first. By the mediation of the military soldiers between the fighting gatherings
by making cushion zones, the French powers were really ready to freeze the circumstance and
opened up space for additional exchanges.

Theoretical framework:

To have an unmistakable thought regarding the emergency in Ivory Coast it is prominent to

comprehend the part of the French in separating the country and supporting the renegades for
quite a long time. The French were cautious with respect to their financial advantages in the
country. Along these lines they were glad to the Ivorians, help with taking their territories,
reclaim the syndication control of the French ventures and monetary places for their business,
obliterate the Air power, and plot overthrows and attacks against the Gbabgo government and
accordingly power Gbabgo to acknowledge the ignorant agitators as bureau individuals. (Busch,
2013). The overthrow endeavored in 2002 drove the nation to part into two zones the southern
being constrained by the public authority and the northern one being constrained by the radicals.
The French utilized their power to secure their nationals in the nation yet were denounced for
favoring one side, both by the public authority and the agitators. (BBC, 2002). A truce was
endeavored in 2003 which was end up being delicate as the renegades wouldn't incapacitate and
the French who interceded in light of the public authority assaults on the French soldiers
positioned in the country in 2004. Numerous bombed endeavors continued being delayed
because of the unstable security. In any case, they were at long last held in November, 2010.
With the success of Alassane Ouattara in the political decision, that too at a short proximity,
worldwide associations like the EU, the AU, ECOWAS confirmed his success. Nonetheless,
Gbabgo didn't acknowledge the loss and wouldn't surrender the force. In independent services,
both the presidents had their initiation functions and were professed to be the leader of the Cote
d'Ivoire (Tzanakopulous, 2011). With no impending answer for this issue, the AU gave a final
proposal to Gbagbo welcoming him to give up the capacity to Ouattara by 24 March, while the
EU, US, and ECOWAS forced authorizations on the Cote d'Ivoire which was invited by UNSC
(Tzanakopulous, 2011). With the refusal of Gbagbo in surrendering power even after the final
proposal being lapsed, the supportive of Ouattara powers walked to hold onto the force strongly.
The favorable to Ouattara powers that are being referenced here are infact individuals from the
muslim northern area of the country and supported by the French military powers just as the UN.
In any case, the mediation of the French required high consideration for security issues as the
global local area communicated fears inferable from the Rwanda Genocide and France's
slaughter. The French soldiers that were operational in the Licorne power gave weighty muscle
on the side of the UN mission in Ivory Coast. While Laurent Gbagbo over and over activated his
own political help raising the well known annoyance on the idea what he broadcasted as a neo-
frontier presence. Due to the troublesome history between the two nations, the Ouattara
government needed to put the relationship on a totally new balance (BBC, 2011). In any case, the
circumstance was not charming for Oauttara in the country. He went through four months in an
inn, squatted, monitored by the UN peacekeepers as the powers faithful to both the pioneers
struggled it out in various pieces of the country. This brought about the passing of around 3000
individuals and made somewhere in the range of 500,000 individuals dislodge.

Research Finding:

Before the election of 2010, there was no involvement of the UN forces and no French
intervention to solve the conflict until a coup was attempted on the absence of the then president
Gbagbo. Primarily the planning was done by the French. Back in 1999, president Bedie made a
agreement with the French for building a bridge worth 120 billion CFA francs in Abidjan or 200
billion if it was with an upper and lower level. After Gbagbo took office he was appalled at this
overspend and thus cancelled the contract. Rather he gave the contract to the Chinese who
offered to complete the bridge for 60 billion with both upper and lower level (Busch, 2013). This
only made the French furious and plot against Gbagbo. So the French joined hands in
Ouagadougo with Blaise Campaore and Alassane Ouattara who fled to the sanctuary of the
French embassy at the very beginning of the rebellion. Taking the advantage of Gbagbo’s visit to
Rome, they planned for a coup. About 650 rebels with a little equipment and ammunitions were
prepared for the coup as they assumed it’d not be one of more than 5 days. The loyalist army of
Gbagbo led by a very loyal defence minister could surround the rebels, trapping them in the city,
and as well kill 320 of them. Suddenly stopped by the French commander of the French troops
stationed in the country and demanding 48 hours to evacuate the French nationals from the city,
the army couldn’t kill the rest of the 330 rebels. This was the immediate and the first intervention
of the foreign countries in the conflicted crisis. Although, during this 48 hours, the French
prepared three Antonov-12 aircraft and all of a sudden the loyalist army was surrounded by 2500
fully armed soldiers on the rebel side as mercenaries from Liberia and Sierra Leone were also
brought (Busch, 2013). But the fact that France intervened to bring the success to the rebels was
not really a fact for the Africans. As there was already a long track record of the French
supporting such violent rebellions in Africa. This coup was the first of many similar coups
during the rule of the Gbagbo government.

After the election in 2010, Alassane Ouattara won; all the international organizations recognized
his win. But Gbagbo refused to accept defeat and give up the power. A delegation made up of the
president of Sierra Leone, Benin and Cape Verde was dispatched to deliver an ultimatum to
reiterate the ECOWAS’s demand and offer Gbagbo to let him be escorted into exile abroad. But
Gbagbo did not meet the demands rather reportedly deamded a vote recount and an amnesty,
were he to cede the presidenct. The same delegation, joined by the Kenyan prime minister, the
AU mediator, and the ECOWAS president Gbeho, met with Gbagbo and Ouattara and again
demaded Gbagbo to cede power; emphasized that the power sharing deal was not feasible; and
alsio offered him with an amnesty if he stepped down. But Gbagbo refused and no headway
resulted (Cook, 2011). Mediations failed to make any impression although AU wanted to keep
the matter within Africa’s control. The “Paris of Africa”- Ivory Coast was turned into a land
fraught with mass murder, rape and pillage as the standoff between the forces of the two leaders
continued and the country was vulnerable to a fully-fledged second civil war (Aljazeera,
2011).This led to the UN and the French to make in-roads into Gbagbo’s compound. Under the
pretext of protecting civilians, the French and UN launched offensive against the Gbagbo army
and paved the way for his arrest and the end of the civil war. As a response to the crisis, the
French army with their helicopters scrambled in the skies of Abidjan with the basis of their
intervention as authorized by the UNSC, to destroy the heavy arms the Gbagbo army used and
were deployed in the city causing the unrest. Many in and out of the country loathed to see
France interfering again in the internal affairs of one of its former colony in Africa. (Oved, 2011)

Analysis:
The actions of both the parties that is the Gbagbo force and the pro-Ouattara force, backed by the
UN troops and the French can be divided into two segments. One includes the happenings in the
country before the election in 2010. That is when Laurent Gbagbo was the president of the Cote
d’Ivoire and the rebels belonged to the foreign military groups mostly. After the development
project of Houphouet-Boigny, where the land belongs to anyone who is willing to cultivate it, the
country became ethnically and culturally divided into two parts, the muslims in the north and the
Christians of the south. The northern people were the supporter of the Ouattara force whereas the
people of the south remained loyal to Gbagbo. Conflicts between the two parties, initiated by the
plans of the French, were a very old issue. But along with the intensity if the multiple coups
conducted against Gbagbo and his loyalist army, the intervention of French and international
organizations like the UN became mandatory. But there was a serious controversy issue
regarding the involvement of French owing to their dreadful acts of the past in the African
countries, especially the colonies of it. Not only did Gbagbo oppose the aid of France by
claiming Ouattara to be French imposter destroying the concept of “Ivorianness”, the
international community was also in great fear regarding the activities of France with a suspicion
on the past history. The ruthless nature of France was thought so that when the French intervened
the first coup conducted in absence of president Gbagbo in the name of protecting their citizens
but ending up supporting the rebels with manpower and gun power, it was thought of a very
common issue for the French and was not at all a serious news for the African countries. But the
UNSC authorized French forces stationed in the Cote d’Ivoire to use any means necessary to
support the UNOCI. Particularly, to intervene at the request of UNOCI in support of the UNOCI
element, security of whom were compromised; to intervene in consultancy to UNOCI, if security
so required, outside UNOCI’s areas of deployment; and to help protect the civilians in the
deployment areas of their units (Tzanakopulous, 2011). So the importance of the French forces
can be clearly understood. As stated earlier, many of the international actors and even some of
the states were not ready to provide their troops to be operating in the country as there was a
huge lack of knowledge about the geography and also lacked the ability to cope with the security
issues of the country. In which aspect, France was a very old and experienced actor. As the Ivory
Coast was a former colony of the French and there was still French army stationed at the country,
it was quite easy for them know the condition and thereby guide other helping troops through the
lands. Moreover the language was alos a very big issue for the assisting troops, in which aspect
the French soldiers held an upperhand and could assist the other forces. In such perceptions, the
activities of the French forces were infact positive towards the citizens of the Cote d’Ivoire.
Though the initial intentions of the French were not favorable, it turned out to be a good actor in
terms of bestowing peace back to the nation.

Theoretical and policy implications:

The case for intervension in the Cote d'Ivoire was not just founded on the mercilessness of
Gbagbo; it was additionally an endeavor on authorizing vote based system in the terrains under
the administration of Alassane Ouattara. Gbagbo may have come to control as a boss of the
African majority rule government, Howard French states in the quick fallout of the political
race, "all that survives from this custom is its modest, dingy leftover form, whose suppositions
have turned unimportant, horrendous and xenophobic." (Oved, 2011). He, not the slightest bit,
followed the rules when it went to current realities. Gbagbo permitted the UN to administer the
consequences of the political race wouldn't surrender the force once he lost and turned up the
state's security powers against the residents of the nation, murdering many honest individuals
and driving far more individuals to escape the country. Gbagbo gave over arms to the little
children and young people where it denoted the unmistakable start of a common conflict.
Subsequent to understanding that every one of the endeavors to intercede with the Gbagbo
government really didn't prompt anyplace or had no result, Ouattara requested his dissident
powers to begin progressing as he was left with no different decisions other than holding onto
power strongly. In any case, just the agitator powers were adequately not to handle such a
circumstance of an enormous scope. When it became obvious that the radical powers that are the
favorable to Ouattara powers were unequipped for completing the work by them, a global
intercession was the lone thing that remained among Gbagbo and a delayed common conflict.
There was scarcely any protection from the renegades all through the country until they showed
up in the biggest city of Ivory Coast, Abidjan. Gbagbo was prepared with his best contenders in
his royal residence and subsequently an incredible flood of attack was brought upon the
agitators. The mission in the Cote d'Ivoire, the UNOCI was essentially harmony authorizing
activity under the section 7 that demonstrated forceful standards of commitment. What's more,
with the accomplishment all through the country other than Abidjan, the neighborhood mission
boss Choi Young-jin basically confirmed the consequences of the mission as a triumph for
Ouattara. In any case, with the hostiles in the open and not a single goal to be seen, UN and
French powers needed to sing in into activities by bombarding the army installations where the
tanks and gunnery of the Gbagbo armed force was loaded. In the event that it was not for the
guide from the unfamiliar powers, Ouattara's dissident powers wouldn't have the option to handle
the circumstance and assume control over Gbagbo's castle. Maybe the vigorously outfitted
warriors would have nearly transformed Abidjan into a place where there is bloodbath. With the
French shielded section getting the territory, Ouattara's fighters were accompanied to the actual
entryway of Gbagbo's home where he was captured and brought before the cameras.

Conclusion:

In a vote that was intended to be the last advance of a harmony cycle that started after Cote
d'Ivoire's polite conflict finished in 2003, the nation plummeted into mayhem after Laurent
Gbagbo wouldn't venture down from power even subsequent to losing the official decisions in
October 2010 to Alassane Ouattara. Gbagbo settled on a fierce dissent against what is the
legitimate case of the force. With all endeavors to arrange fizzled, Ouattara likewise requested
his dissident powers to progress and go against the brutality. In this renegade gathering, the UN
and the French came as helps as it was very unthinkable for the revolutionary powers alone to
handle the circumstance. Then again, France being a nation supposedly to raise a ruckus in the
African nations, extraordinarily its previous states, when it came to mediate, was dreaded to
rehash something very similar for this situation also. , what gives off an impression of being
against the misinterpretation, France was of incredible and likely the best help as an entertainer
to mediate. The compromise in the Cote d'Ivoire is quite possibly the most brilliant illustrations
of a crossover activity, where a previous pioneer strategic maneuvers a significant part in
bringing harmony through settling the contention. The authenticity of the military activities
directed by France lies in the reality of the late mediation by the territorial and worldwide
entertainers and every one of the issues they experienced. With record of getting the public
interests of France, the idea of cross breed activities has quite lessened the expense of the
military intercession. In any case, a piece of the explanation of the contention established in the
pilgrim past of the French administration of the Ivorian domain and society that proceeded after
the autonomy by the Houphouet-Boigny system. Subsequently France is a long way from being
only a nonpartisan gathering in the compromise procedure and may be considered dependable in
upsetting the genuine compromise measure. Regardless of the multitude of cases and realities,
the exercises of the French powers in the compromise of the Ivorian emergency can be defended
as an incredible help and a vital part in making the progress against the ruthlessness of Gbagbo
armed force and building up the Ouattara rule in the country.
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