Publication

International pressure on the Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara has been mounting in recent months, mainly due to his controversial handling of the issue of transitional justice. This brief finds that the international community is right in criticizing Ouattara for his failure of bringing his own supporters to court for atrocities committed during the violent post-election crisis in Côte d’Ivoire between December 2010 and April 2011. However, it argues that pressure on Ouattara has to be exerted with care because the Ivorian president is facing the difficult challenge of bringing the influential zone commanders (Com’zones) to justice. They were responsible for most of the crimes committed by pro-Ouattara forces during the post-election crisis but continue to hold key positions in the Ivorian security forces.