Military Reform – 2012

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Military Reform – 2012

2012

Intermediate Implementation Intermediate implementation

“With the end of the Ivorian election crisis, Alassane Ouattara ordered all militia groups to disarm and join the national army.” Claiming that the FDSI-CI refused to obey the order to disarm, the FRCI launched an assault against the militia stronghold in Abobo and killed the leader Ibrahim Coulibaly. “In the months following the event, hundreds of members of the FDSI-CI disarmed and joined the national army.”1

“President Ouattara combined the former rebel Forces Nouvelles (FN) with cooperating elements of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS), the former government’s security forces, into the Republic Forces of Cote dÕIvoire (FRCI), the country’s new official military.”2 The overall strength of the FRCI was at 40,000 and it was reported that an additional 40,000 personnel were recruited on an ad hoc basis during the post-election crisis.3

“The Ivoirian government is rebranding the national army to change the force’s negative image . . . The name of the current army – Forces Républicaines de C™te d’Ivoire (FRCI), set up in March by President Alassane Ouattara – will revert back to Forces Armées Nationales de C™te d’Ivoire or (FANCI).”4

  1. UCDP Conflict Encyclopedia, Cote d’Ivoire, http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=40&regionSelect=2-Sout… (accessed April 5, 2015).
  2. Human Rights Report: 2011, Cote d’Ivoire, U.S. Department of State, http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2011/af/186187.htm, (accessed April 5, 2015).
  3. “Special report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in C™te dÕIvoire,” United Nations Security Council (S/2012/186), March 29, 2012.
  4. “Cote d’Ivoire: Rebranding the Army,” IRIN Africa, http://www.irinnews.org/report/93886/cote-d-ivoire-rebranding-the-army (accessed April 5, 2015).