History of Ivory Coast
UNOCI’s primary objective was to facilitate the implementation by the Ivorian parties of the peace agreement signed by them in January which aimed at ending the Ivorian civil war. Its mandate was subsequently extended and adjusted on several occasions to meet new requirements and reflect the evolving situation in the country. Instead, the country lurched back into civil war when incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down, using troops, paramilitaries and mercenaries to entrench his position and crush dissent….