French Involvement - Visualizing Conflict Interest (sitios de interés)
Descripción del sitio
France remains Cote d'Ivoire's single most important foreign partner. President Houphouet-Boigny, who was a minister in the French Government prior to independence, insisted that the connection with France remain strong.French is Cote d'Ivoire's official languageThousands of French expatriates continue to work and live in Cote d'Ivoire; and the CFA franc currency is tied to the euro.However, the September 2002 events injected strain into the relationship, as the Ivoirian Government criticized France for its perceived failure to uphold its commitment under the 1961 mutual defense treaty by helping government forces recapture rebel-held areas.
However, the French did send additional forces--reaching a total of around 4,000 troops as of fall 2003--to secure the ceasefire line between regular government and rebel forces. The French contingent was joined by a force provided by various member states of ECOWAS that totaled over 3,000 as of fall 2003. In 2009, the French began the reduction of their troop level in Cote d’Ivoire. By June 2009, French Licorne was to number around 900. Anti-French riots erupted in Abidjan in late January-early February 2003, but bilateral relations subsequently improved amidst ongoing French military and diplomatic efforts to promote a peaceful resolution of the crisis.