The international news for the past two weeks has been dominated by the Egyptian protests and other challenges to "democratic" dictatorships in several Middle Eastern countries that are of strategic interest to the United States. While I am extremely curious about what will happen in Egypt, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, I am equally concerned about the ongoing struggle to defend the results of democratic elections in Cote d'Ivoire and the challenges facing the fledgling democracy in Southern Sudan.
Cote d'Ivoire: Refugees in Liberia:
Since November 2010, former President Laurent Gbagbo has refused to give up power to the winner of the election, Alassane Ouattara. Tensions have led to the displacement on tens of thousands of people and over 200 have been killed. The AU is trying to negotiate a compromise and there many countries are banning imports of Ivorian chocolate in an attempt to cut off tax revenue that continues to flow to Gbagbo.
Here are two articles calling for tighter bans on Ivorian cocoa to help oust Gbagbo peacefully as well as to make a statement about the practice of using child labor in cultivating cocoa:
http://news.myjoyonline.com/features/201102/60618.asp
http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/30747--Bitter-Chocolate-New-Report-on-Child-Labor-in-Cote-d-Ivoire-and-Ghana-Offers-Further-Evidence-that-Hershey-Cocoa-Industry-are-Failing-to-Address-Abusive-Child-Labor-and-Human-Trafficking
Southern Sudan: While the referendum for independence was peaceful and conclusive with about 98% of voters in Southern Sudan voting for independence from the rest of the country, the future of the new country is on extremely shaky ground. It is one of the poorest, least developed, and most fractured tribally, ethnically, and culturally. Since the referendum in January 2011, already over 200 people have been killed as a result of clashes between tribal militiamen and the police as well as between rival cattle-herding tribes.
The Government of Southern Sudan and leader Salva Kiir need all the international and regional support they can get.
http://www.economist.com/node/18070450?story_id=18070450
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gkIwuSyLVLIlcr9zIiQSMnIpvFEA?docId=CNG.174090b19aab9f0dd092524489bf4699.711
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