Local voices: Ivorian reactions to HRW report

By Justice Hub

“Human Rights Watch should leave us alone”, wrote Issa Ouattara, a Facebook follower of our sister site, Ivoire Justice. “It’s really sad that an organisation which claims to be in favour of human rights could try to harm a nation. Where was HRW when the crisis occurred? Who was right and who wasn’t? …We really want to move forward.”

He and hundreds of other Ivoire Justice Facebook followers were reacting to two articles about the International Criminal Court’s “missteps” in Ivory Coast. The articles were based on a report published by Human Rights Watch, alleging that the ICC had “missed important opportunities to maximize the impact of its work in Ivory Coast”. According to HRW, “the prosecution’s decision to limit its initial investigations to one side of the country’s 2010-2011 election was a misstep”.

In an 88-page report, the human rights watchdog wrote that the prosecution should have opened investigations not only into crimes allegedly committed by forces allied with former president Laurent Gbagbo, but also those reportedly committed by forces allied with the current president, Alassane Ouattara.

The articles struck a chord with the followers of Ivoire Justice on Facebook. One of the followers, Ange Pacome Guessan Bi , agrees with HRW.

“Both sides committed atrocities. So for the ICC’s credibility, everyone who was responsible for the crisis should be put on trial. Let justice be done once and for all.”

For others, the upcoming trial of the former Ivorian president continues to be a divisive event. Yves Kalouboue says, “they’re just reminding us what we already know. The ICC should be renamed Court of International Politics because there’s no justice there, just politics”.

“As far as I’m concerned, the ICC (Court of Insufficient Evidence) is a “thing” in the pay of Western countries. Nothing more. It’s time that Africa establishes its own court.”

Others adopt a more reconciliatory tone and want to move on. Hermann Loko, for instance, writes:

“Instead of debating things from the past…let’s try to build tomorrow’s future because our children and the generations to come are the heart of our country. No one wants to grow up with the ideology of a divided nation by its politicians, but rather in unity, peace, living together…to build a strong and emerging nation because we were all victims…”

Mickael Soprano, for his part, wrote “we were all witnesses to the crisis and at the same we were guilty. Let me explain myself: victim in the sense that we all lost someone close and guilty because we let this happen. But one thing is for sure: those who are really guilty will be judged by the true president: GOD. AMEN.”

Lead image: Supporters of Ivoirian President Alassane Ouattara at a political rally (Photo: Issouf Sanogo/AFP)