Militarized Youths in Western Côte d’Ivoire : local processes of mobilization, demobilization, and related humanitarian interventions Magali Chelpi-den Hamer To cite this version: Magali Chelpi-den Hamer. Militarized Youths in Western Côte d’Ivoire : local processes of mobiliza- tion, demobilization, and related humanitarian interventions. Social Anthropology and ethnology. École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS); Université d’Amsterdam, 2011. English. tel-02472550 HAL Id: tel-02472550 https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-02472550 Submitted on 17 Aug 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Militarized Youths in Western Côte d’Ivoire Local processes of mobilization, demobilization, and related humanitarian interventions (2002-2007) ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam op gezag van de Rector Magnificus prof. dr. D.C. van den Boom ten overstaan van een door het college voor promoties ingestelde commissie, in het openbaar te verdedigen in de Agnietenkapel op dinsdag 4 oktober 2011, te 10:00 uur door Magali Lara Barbara Chelpi Geboren te Cannes, Frankrijk Promotiecommissie Promotores: Prof. dr. I.S.A. Baud Prof. dr. J.-P. Chauveau Overige leden: Prof. dr. M. Agier Prof. dr. R. Bazenguissa-Ganga Prof. dr. G.C.A. Junne Prof. dr. K. Vlassenroot Faculteit der Maatschappij- en Gedragswetenschappen African Studies Centre African Studies Collection, Vol. 36 Militarized youths in Western Côte d’Ivoire Local processes of mobilization, demobilization, and related humanitarian interventions (2002-2007) Magali Chelpi-den Hamer Published by: African Studies Centre P.O. Box 9555 2300 RB Leiden The Netherlands [email protected] www.ascleiden.nl Cover design: Heike Slingerland Cover photo: ‘Market scene, Man’ (December 2007) Photographs: Magali Chelpi-den Hamer Printed by Ipskamp Drukkers, Enschede ISSN: 1876-018X ISBN: 978-90-5448-107-2 © Magali Chelpi-den Hamer, 2011 This book is dedicated to Roelof, Anna & Tess Contents List of maps, tables, figures and boxes ix List of photographs x Abbreviations xi Foreword xiii Acknowledgements xv 1 INTRODUCING THE STUDY 1 Research approach 3 Defining militarized youths 6 Structure of the book 8 2 METHODOLOGY 11 Methodological choices 12 Ethical considerations 19 3 SOME THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS 27 The paradox of post-conflict interventions 28 Some theoretical reflections on war and mobilization processes 37 Concluding remarks 49 4 A CONDUCIVE HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL TERRAIN TO THE MILITARIZATION OF CIVILIANS 51 From cosmopolitan politics to a politics of ethnic polarization 52 From the Coup to the war 62 2000-2010: a decade of FPI rule 67 The place of humanitarianism in Côte d’Ivoire 73 Concluding remarks 84 5 THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT 87 The general atmosphere: Chronology of violent events in the west (2002-2007) 88 Multi-ethnic agrarian societies 107 The fieldwork locations and the western humanitarian context 113 Concluding remarks 125 vii 6 ARMED FACTIONS OPERATING IN THE WEST 127 Counter-insurgent movements 128 Insurgent movements 136 Concluding remarks 141 7 MILITARIZED CIVILIANS: DIVERSITY OF TRAJECTORIES, DIVERSITY OF MOTIVES FOR ENLISTMENT 143 Who ‘took up’ arms in the west? 145 The specificities of the youngest recruits 151 What drove young civilians to military life? 152 Concluding remarks 161 8 BLURRED SPACES: MILITARIZED YOUTHS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT 165 Part-time recruits 166 Social relationships within the armed groups 168 The military-civilian nexus 176 The humanitarian-military nexus 182 Concluding remarks 185 9 RETURN TO CIVILIAN LIFE FOR MILITARIZED POPULATIONS: TWO STANDARD HUMANITARIAN INSTRUMENTS UNDER THE LENS 187 The global approach to reinsertion and reintegration 188 DDR in Côte d’Ivoire 194 Reinsertion under the lens: how were cash allowances spent? 198 Assessment of a pilot initiative fostering economic reinsertion 208 The specificities of the youngest recruits 220 Concluding remarks 223 10 CONCLUSIONS 225 The main empirical and conceptual findings 226 The step forward 235 Appendix 1: Chronology of violent events in the west (2002-2007) 237 Appendix 2: Checklist of individual interview guidelines 253 References 255 English summary 267 Samenvatting (Dutch summary) 275 viii List of maps 4.1 Areas of intervention of humanitarian agencies 75 5.1 Types of violent events in western C.d’I (19 Sept.-31 Dec. 2002) 92 5.2 Types of violent events in western C.d’I (1 Jan.-23 May 2003) 93 5.3 Types of violent events in western C.d’I (May 2003-Dec. 2005) 94 5.4 Types of violent events in western C.d’I (2006) 95 5.5 Geographical origin of the main ethnic groups in Côte d’Ivoire 108 List of tables 5.1 Chronology indicative of the atmosphere of violence in western CI 89-91 5.2 Series of events showing the increased implication of the impartial forces in local mechanisms of conflict resolution 125 6.1 Claimed affiliation of the militias listed by the PNDDR 129 6.2 First faction integrated by respondents 135 6.3 Cities of origin of militia recruits listed by the PNDDR 137 6.4 Respondents’ ethnic group 138 7.1 Last year of schooling before dropping out 146 7.2 First reason given for joining an armed movement 160 9.1 Distribution of recruits by reinsertion streams – Guiglo 211 9.2 Distribution of recruits by reinsertion streams – Man 211 9.3 Nature and costs of individual kits in the small business track 214 List of figures 4.1 The planned Ivoirian process 83 9.1 Which reinsertion activities have respondents engaged in? 213 9.2 Were respondents familiar with this activity before the war? 213 9.3 Profiling sheet 218 List of boxes 5.1 The three Zou wars 105 6.1 Testimony of a MILOCI recruit 133 7.1 A selection of educational accounts 147 7.2 A typical ‘hypermobile’ youth 149 9.1 Three examples of the use of financial incentives 199 ix List of photographs 1 Patchwork of pro-governmental militia elements 10 2 Female recruits, Guiglo 10 3 Market scene, Man 86 4 Rebel taxation on small businesses, Man 86 5 Pork farm sponsored by the GTZ-IS project, Guiglo 126 6 Apprentices fixing a motorbike, Man (incl. ex-child recruit) 126 7 On the way to Dompleu, 5km of Man 142 8 Market scene, Guiglo 142 9 Ex-combatant taking part in production of charcoal, Guiglo 164 10 Soccer team, Man, including one ex-combatant 164 11 Apprentices, including former militarized recruits, in a tailoring workshop, Guiglo 236 12 Informal training in electricity, Man (GTZ-IS was paying there tuition for three elements of the Forces Nouvelles 236 13 Small business sponsored by the GTZ-IS project, Guiglo 252 14 Poultry farm sponsored by the GTZ-IS project, Man 252 15 Owner and apprentices in a wielding workshop, Man 274 16 Tailoring workshop hosting former child recruits, Man 274 x Abbreviations APO Accord Politique de Ouagadougou ANADER Agence Nationale d’Appui au Développement Rural AP-Wê Alliance Patriotique Wê CAR Central African Republic CCI Centre de Commandement Intégré CI Côte d’Ivoire CNDDR National Commission for DDR CTO Centre de Transition and d’Orientation DDR Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration DRC Democratic Republic of Congo ERNWACA Educational Research Network for West and Central Africa ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States EM Etat Major FAFN Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles FANCI National Armed Forces of the Côte d’Ivoire FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FDS Forces de Défenses et de Sécurité FLGO Forces de Libération du Grand Ouest FPI Front Populaire Ivoirien FRGO Forces de Résistance du Grand Ouest FS-Lima Forces Supplétives Lima GTZ-IS GTZ-International Service HI Handicap International IAHCC UN Inter-Agency Humanitarian Coordination Meeting ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross IDA International Development Association INGO International Non-Governmental Organization IOM International Organization for Migration IRC International Rescue Committee MARP Méthode Active de Recherche et de Planification Participative MDM Médecins du Monde MILOCI Mouvement Ivoirien pour la Libération de l’Ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire MINUCI United Nations Mission in Côte d’Ivoire MJP Mouvement pour la Justice et la Paix MPCI Mouvement Patriotique pour la Côte d’Ivoire MPIGO Mouvement Populaire Ivoirien du Grand Ouest MSA Mouvement Socialiste Africain MSF Médecins Sans Frontières xi NGO Non-Governmental Organization NRC Norwegian Refugee Council ONUCI Opération des Nations Unies en Côte d’Ivoire PCO Plan Conjoint des Operations PDCI Parti Démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire PDR Prevention, Demobilization and Reinsertion programme PDR Prevention, Demobilization and Reintegration programme PIT Parti Ivoirien des Travailleurs PNDDR National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Plan PNDDR-RC Programme National de Désarmement, de Démobilisation, de Réinsertion et de Réhabilitation Communautaire PNRRC Programme National de Réinsertion et de Réhabilitation Communautaire PSI Parti Socialiste Ivoirien RDR Rassemblement des Républicains RUF Revolutionary Unitary Front SAA Syndicat Africole Africain SC Save the Children UDPCI Union pour la Démocratie et la Paix en Côte d’Ivoire UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNOCHA United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance UPRGO Union des Patriotes pour la Résistance du Grand Ouest WFP World Food Programme xii Foreword I slept twice with my shoes on, a small bag packed at the foot of my bed, ready to literally run away as fast as I could if armed men were to enter my home.