Instead of a return to peace and prosperity, Ivory Coast’s long-delayed presidential elections...
Peter DiCampo arrived in western Ivory Coast in the wake of two massacres and the midst of a dire refugee situation. Unable to reveal people's identities for fear of continued reprisal violence, DiCampo recorded the anonymous testimonies of survivors.
Six months of heavy fighting followed Ivory Coast's 2010 presidential elections. The international community put their support behind the apparent winner, Alassane Ouattara, even assisting in the capture of former President Laurent Gbagbo. Ouattara was sworn in as president in May 2011, but these testimonies reveal that both sides committed grave atrocities.
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Last week, Human Rights Watch released a report detailing the war crimes of both factions.
"The Ouattara government has taken noteworthy steps to prosecute leaders of the former regime, including Gbagbo himself, against whom there is credible evidence of serious crimes," said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "But the pursuit of justice is essential to victims on both sides who saw their loved ones killed, or houses burned, not just a tool for the victors."
The report can be viewed here: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2011/10/05/they-killed-them-it-was-nothing
