Climate of fear
July 28, 2011
Hundreds of thousands of refugees who fled violence in Ivory Coast earlier this year are still unable to return to their homes due to continuing clashes in the West African nation, rights group Amnesty International (AI) said Thursday.
In a report published in Berlin, AI said a climate of fear still existed in Ivory Coast following bloodshed triggered by presidential elections in December 2010.
Following election defeat, then-president Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down and allow the internationally recognized winner of the national polls, Alassane Ouattara, to take his place.
More than one million people were displaced in the ensuing bloody conflict, with some 130,000 fleeing to refugee camps in neighboring countries. There are still an estimated 500,000 people internally displaced in the country. More than 1,000 Ivorians were killed in the violence leading up to Gbagbo's capture in April.
State-sanctioned violence
According to the AI report, attacks targeting ethnic groups loyal to Gbagbo were still being carried out by militiamen referred to as Dozo, who hailed from Ivory Coast's north. The Dozo were believed by observers to have been involved in past massacres.
"Particularly at risk are young, physically fit men who are considered likely to have been members of pro-Gbagbo militia groups," the AI report said.
The rights group called on the Ivorian government under President Ouattara to put an end to the killings. "Human rights violations by security forces and militias are not acceptable and must be punished," said AI Africa spokeswoman Franziska Ulm.
Ulm described the continued government support of the Dozo as alarming. She said the militia were patrolling city streets and manning checkpoints on major roads, which was preventing displaced people from returning home.
Fear among the people
AI West Africa researcher Gaetan Mootoo said the Ivorian authorities had to establish a clear chain of command and disband militia groups "who, despite the end of the conflict, continue to spread fear among the population."
"The freedom with which the Dozos now operate indicates that their actions are tolerated or even instigated at the request of security forces," said Mootoo.
The Amnesty report also reels off a list of human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity it says were committed by forces loyal to both Ouattara and Gbagbo during the months-long conflict.
With a population of around 20 million, Ivory Coast counts more than 60 different ethnic groups. The majority, around 39 percent, are Muslims, while around one-third are Christian.
Author: Darren Mara (Reuters, AFP, KNA)
Editor: Ben Knight