An Ivorian concept

The country's history is brutal. It has come a long way from a period that some people, especially younger citizens, did not experience. In 2011, Côte d'Ivoire was divided, exhausted and scarred by nearly twenty years of stagnation, political conflict and identity strife. In September 2002, the country was effectively divided in two. The crisis reached its peak with the November 2010 presidential election, which had been postponed numerous times since 2005. From that point on, the country embarked on a rare journey of reconciliation with itself, despite its past and its wounds. Côte d'Ivoire gradually eased into a state of ‘active normality’, embracing the ambitious concept of ‘one nation’, which was proudly displayed during the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan. Fifteen years after a near civil war, 30 million people live side by side. Investments in infrastructure and security have ‘united’ the country. Nowadays, driving from Abidjan to Korhogo at night is no longer considered dangerous. Travelling from San-Pédro to Yamoussoukro is just a trip like any other. Urban fusion, education, campuses, marriages and growth have contributed to this special sense of coexistence. Thirty million inhabitants in a melting pot of origins, identities and religions – Senufo, Malinké, Baoulé, Yacouba, Bété, Agni, Gouro, Guéré, Dida, Lobi, Wobé, Abé, Adjoukrou, Ebrié... And large numbers of immigrants, both poor and significantly less poor, have come from all over the region, West Africa and Central Africa, drawn by the opportunities offered by a country on the rise. They are joined by Europeans, French and Asians. And then there is the very distinctive Ivorian-Lebanese identity, so that Abidjan seems like another major Lebanese city. And while there is still a tendancy towards making ethnic distinctions, and even though the mosaic is fragile, the concept of ‘being Ivorian’ is gradually taking shape and growing stronger. This is one of the ADO era's major achievements. It is also one of the biggest challenges for the future.