CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................7
2. A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION POSTPONED FIVE TIMES THAT PLUNGED THE COUNTRY
INTO CHAOS................................................................................................................9
2.1. The 2002 coup attempt and the de facto partition of the country ............................9
2.2 Two presidents - one country...............................................................................10
2.3. Spiral of violence in Abidjan and the west of the country ......................................11
3. HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND ABUSES IN ABIDJAN .........................................15
3.1 Human rights violations committed by security forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo .........15
3.2. Human rights abuses committed by the militias supporting Laurent Gbagbo ...........24
3.2.1. Security forces support for or complicity in human rights abuses committed by
militias supporting Laurent Gbagbo. .......................................................................26
3.3 Human rights abuses committed by the Invisible Commando, an anti-Gbagbo armed
group .....................................................................................................................27
3.4. Human rights violations committed by the FRCI during and after the arrest of Laurent
Gbagbo...................................................................................................................29
4. VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AND HUMAN RIGHTS LAW IN THE
WEST OF THE COUNTRY ............................................................................................32
4.1 The west of the country: a region that has been unstable for more than ten years .....32
4.1.1. Creation of militias .....................................................................................32
4.1.2 Offensive by the FRCI in the west..................................................................34
4.2. Violations of international humanitarian and human rights law...............................35
4.2.1 Violations committed by forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo...................................35
4.2.2 Abuses committed by the FAFN before their integration into the FRCI ..............35
4.2.3. Violations committed by the FRCI and their auxiliary forces ............................37
4.2.4 Massacres in the town of Guiglo....................................................................44