Crise ivoirienne: enjeux et sens d’une mobilisation patriotique

Since the 19th September 2002, C te d’Ivoire experiences the most severe crisis in its history as an independent country. Those who took up the arms say that they did so in order to fight against the effects of ivoirité: xenophobia and exclusion. The subsequent reaction most notably by the so-called patriotic movements is formulated in terms of resistance and the protection of their endangered nation. Beyond the oppositions and antagonisms of the two parties, one observes a shared feeling of belonging to the Ivorian nation. The purpose of this article is to try to understand and explain this patriotic mobilisation among the protagonists. That ivoirité has affected the relations among Ivorians (‘northerners’ and ‘southerners’) and between the latter and the West African immigrants is beyond doubt. That this constitutes the central triggering factor of the present Ivorian crisis, is possible. Finally, that this crisis has sharpened patriotic or nationalist sentiments, is perhaps also true. However, the working hypothesis of this article is that the patriotic mobilisation is but an element of a larger power game, a rhetoric web woven around a fierce battle for power.