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Explanation
It is not entirely clear what is going on.
One aspect seems to be a general weakening of government authority.
Another is the split between the Muslim north of the country
and the Christian and animist south.
The post-colonial president, Houphouet Boigny, is described
as having balanced the various interests in the country; his
successors have failed to do this, causing discontent among those
who feel excluded.
Another factor is the extreme breakdown occurring in neighboring
countries: Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, whose various guerrilla
wars are spilling over into Ivory Coast.
A third is the collapse of the Cocoa price, following the
abolition, on the advice of the World Bank, of the government's
Marketing Board.
There are French troops in the territory, to protect the numerous
French residents of the country, and attempting to mediate between
the main factions. A French government sponsored conference in
Paris resulted in a peace agreement, by which the rebels would
be given a place in government - their real demand. The 'government'
faction refused to implement the agreement.
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