Cote d'Ivoire:

Cote d’Ivoire also known in English as the Ivory Coast is a former French colony in West Africa. The country became independent in 1960 and has since maintained close ties with France. Cote d’Ivoire is situated off the Gulf of Guinea, west of Ghana.

The country had since independence been relatively stable and was considered one of the most prosperous of the West African nations.

The first military coup in the country took place in December 1999 when one of the army’s senior leaders Robert Guei overthrew the government of Henri Konan Bedie. Elections held in 2000 were very controversial and were shrouded with claims of widespread rigging. Laurent Gbagbo was declared the winner after civilian protest.

The volatile situation continued in 2002 when there was an attempted mutiny by disgruntled soldiers. A peace treaty reached 2003 holds together a still fragile nation.