Death Of An African Warlord

Coulibaly had refused to surrender when government troops seized the Abobo neighbourhood on Wednesday [AFP]

Ibrahim Coulibaly: Ivory Coast's Serial Coup-Plotter -- BBC

The death of one of Ivory Coast's most charismatic commanders and serial coup-plotters, Ibrahim Coulibaly, eliminates one of the main threats to the new government.

But the offensive against Mr Coulibaly, nicknamed "IB" and recently self-promoted to a general, has shocked many who credit him with playing a key role in bringing the new President, Alassane Ouattara, to power.

The Ivorian ministry of defence has confirmed his death, along with six fellow fighters, after an offensive against his headquarters in the PK-18 district on the northern edge of Abidjan.

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More News On The Death Of Ivorian Warlord Ibrahim Coulibaly

Ivorian warlord's death: suicide or assassination? -- Yahoo News/AP
Ivory Coast Troops Kill Powerful Warlord -- Wall Street Journal
Ivorian warlord 'beaten, then shot' -- Press Association
Pro-Ouattara militia leader killed by president's forces -- CNN
Ivory Coast insurgent militia leader killed -- Reuters
Ivory Coast militia leader killed -- Al Jazeera
Ivory Coast militia leader Coulibaly killed: spokesman -- Sydney Morning Herald

What Is Next For The Ivory Coast?

Ivory Coast: A Ragtag Army Falls Apart -- Foreign Policy

When Alassane Ouattara finally took over the presidency in the Ivory Coast earlier this month, he did so with the help of a rag tag group of militiamen. There were the formal rebels from the country's brief civil war, known as the Forces Nouvelles. There were local men who picked up alongside the other regular fighters. And then there were the more pernicious militias, such as the so-called "Invisible Commandos" in Abidjan, who hitched their wagon to Ouattara's because -- for at least a moment -- their objectives aligned. What all these groups had in common was their desire to at last unseat an intrasigent outgoing President Laurent Gbagbo who had refused to step down for four months after a lost election.

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My Comment: I commented a few months ago that the Ivory Coast reminded me of Afghanistan with its different network of tribal groups, militias, and disgruntled war lords. All that I can say now is that let us hope that the new ruler (Alassane Ouattara), who has the legitimacy of a won election, does a better job than Karzai of Afghanistan.