For example, a 60-year-old Guéré from Guinkin said that the Burkinabés on his land
through an alleged illegal sale pulled up the manioc and other food crops he had planted
prior to the crisis. He said: “As long as we can’t get access to our plantations, what will we
have to feed ourselves?”146
A Guéré from Dedjéan, who alleged that someone from neighboring Tinhou profited from
his displacement to illegally sell his land to Burkinabés, now planting cocoa, described
similar concerns:
Even to do small rice fields, we don’t know where to go. I grew foodstuffs
before in my campement, but that’s been taken over. It’s difficult now to
even find food. I’m growing what little rice I can right next to the village. And
without money from [cash crops], it’s going to be difficult to pay for my
children’s education, to pay for medical care.147
Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
provides for the rights to food and an adequate standard of living.148 As a state party, Côte
d’Ivoire’s general obligation is to progressively realize these rights; however, at all times
state parties have a minimum obligation to not negatively impact people’s access to food
and a livelihood.149 The Ivorian government’s failure to take adequate measures to protect
people from land dispossession or to resolve disputes in a timely fashion may make it in
breach of this obligation.
Cause of Cross-Border Attacks, Rising Tensions
Tension over land dispossession is mounting in western Côte d’Ivoire, with residents
often referring to it as a “bomb” that may explode if the government does not quickly
take action to ensure restitution to rightful owners. Some people who have lost land
direct their anger toward the fraudulent sellers, who tend to be from the same ethnic
146 Human Rights Watch interview with 60-year-old alleged victim of land dispossession by illegal sale, Guinkin, February 7, 2013.
147 Human Rights Watch interview
with 47-year-old alleged victim of land dispossession by illegal sale, Dedjéan, June 5, 2013.
148 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), adopted December 16, 1966, G.A. Res. 2200A
(XXI), 21 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 16) at 49, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (1966), 993 U.N.T.S. 3, entered into force January 3, 1976, acceded
to by Côte d’Ivoire on March 26, 1992.
149 UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comment No. 3, The nature of States parties’ obligations
(Fifth session, 1990), Compilation of General Comments and General Recommendations Adopted by Human Rights Treaty
Bodies, U.N. Doc. HRI/GEN/1/Rev.6, p. 14 (2003).
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HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | OCTOBER 2013