Country Profile
From The Report: Cote d'Ivoire 2018
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Côte d’Ivoire has long been regarded as one of West Africa’s richest and most diverse countries due to its linguistic, ethnic and religious diversity. While agriculture remains a key driver of economic progress, there is an abundance of other natural resources, including crude oil – with proven reserves of around 100m barrels – natural gas and diamonds. As a member of UEMOA, the African Union and ECOWAS, Côte d’Ivoire is an active player in regional politics, having also developed particularly strong ties with Morocco in recent years.

This chapter contains viewpoints from President Alasanne Ouattara and Kofi Annan, Chairman, African Progress Panel; and an interview with Marcel de Souza, President, ECOWAS Commission.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Moving forward: An abundance of natural resources and relative political stability help usher in a sustained period of high economic growth
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Since the end of the civil war in 2011, Côte d’Ivoire has stepped forward into a new era of sustained peace and high economic growth. Linguistically, ethnically and religiously diverse, the former French colony is now aiming to regain its historic status as a peaceful and prosperous West African nation state. Geography Côte d’Ivoire is 322,463 sq km in size. It shares borders with Liberia and Guinea to the west, Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, and Ghana to the east, and boasts…

Viewpoint

Strategic partnership: President Alassane Dramane Ouattara, on the need for mutually beneficial cooperation and investment to meet the challenges faced on the continent
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Viewpoint:Alassane Dramane Ouattara Côte d’Ivoire is proud to return to the family of nations after the arduous crises it has gone through. Through the determination of the Ivorian people and the support of our external partners, we have achieved appreciable results in the fields of politics and security, as well as the improvement of our population’s living conditions. These combined efforts have enabled Côte d’Ivoire to become one of the most dynamic economies in the world, and led…

Analysis

Reconstituting development: Reformed laws support reconciliation, though inequality and education quality remain issues
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Côte d’Ivoire is a presidential republic. Since the cessation of the civil war in 2011, the country’s president, Alassane Ouattara, who is currently serving his second term, has said he wants to make the process of reconciliation his priority. Aiming to address the issues that fuelled the tensions behind the war, a series of reforms have been initiated, including a new constitution promulgated on November 8, 2016. Constitution Although the October 2016 referendum received 93% of votes…

Viewpoint

A united front: Kofi Annan, Chairman, Africa Progress Panel, on the need for innovation and cross-border cooperation in the energy sector
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Viewpoint:Kofi Annan Nearly two-thirds of Africa’s 620m people do not have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern electricity and this is one of the important energy objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Africa’s energy deficit continues to stifle economic growth, job creation, agricultural transformation and improvements in health and education. In several countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa, renewable energy makes up an increasingly important…

Interview

Strength in unity: Marcel de Souza, President, ECOWAS Commission, on further expansion and deepening integration in the bloc
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Interview:Marcel de Souza What are the difficulties currently affecting integration efforts within ECOWAS? MARCEL DE SOUZA: Although ECOWAS has the highest score on the UN’s Africa Regional Integration Index in terms of free movement of people, challenges still remain. We are working closely with stakeholders in the application of the rules that govern the integration process. Non-tariff barriers remain an impediment to the free movement of goods and people. However, there are several ongoing…

Analysis

Strong bonds: Infrastructure and logistics projects receive investment from China, while the EU promises development aid
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Côte d’Ivoire enjoys amicable relations with the major world powers, with no outstanding bilateral issues. During the cold war, Côte d’Ivoire generally favoured the West and had no diplomatic ties with the USSR from between 1969 and 1986. It is a member of the UN and most of its specialised agencies. The international community generally sided with presidential candidate Alassane Ouattara during the civil war that followed the post-election crisis of 2010. Therefore, the eventual ascendency…

Analysis

Pursuing partnerships: Historical openness serves as a foundation for both regional and international trade and investment
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As a member of UEMOA, the African Union and ECOWAS, Côte d’Ivoire is an active player in regional politics. While the country’s close ties to France and its distance from pan-Africanism has traditionally strained relations with neighbouring Ghana, the it retains good relations with its other neighbours, namely Burkina Faso, Mali, Liberia and Angola. Françafrique Côte d’Ivoire’s first president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, chose to maintain close ties with France, a policy later…