Cǒte d'Ivoire, Post‐independence Protest

Cǒte d'Ivoire gained political independence from France, the former colonial power, in 1960. For more than three decades to 1993, the Ivorian nation was ruled by President Félix Houphouët‐Boigny, who termed the era “la démocratie à l'ivoirienne” (democracy Ivorian style). Cǒte d'Ivoire enjoyed political stability and relative socioeconomic prosperity. However, with Houphouët‐Boigny's death in 1993, Cǒte d'Ivoire faced political instability typified by ethnicization of politics, social protests, military coups, and civil conflict with secessionist undertones. The instability was accentuated if not caused by poor economic conditions precipitated by the drop in cocoa and coffee prices on international markets and the imposition of austerity measures by multilateral agencies.