Laurent Gbagbo is hanging on to power in the Ivory Coast, despite losing to Alassane Ouattara in a November presidential election. The result has been violent, region-destabilizing clashes between the two men’s supporters.

On Saturday, it was reported by U.N. officials that peacekeepers in the Ivory Coast will be reinforced with 2,000 soldiers, and that they have received two combat helicopters. Choi Young-Jin, a U.N. representative in Abidjan, told the Liberation newspaper that staying in control of the skies through airpower is crucial to ensuring that the situation doesn’t degenerate further. “Since February 19, incidents have gotten more serious,” he said. “We need to do everything we can to stop someone who wants to massacre civilians from making it happen.”

When asked if a political outcome to the crisis was possible Young-Jin was pessimistic and said: “Since the beginning we’ve noted deep differences between the two parties. It will be very difficult to find common ground between the two rivals.”

After the jump, a primer on the two men at the heart of the conflict.

Laurent Gbagbo is a member and founder of the Ivoirian Popular Front. He did not have a peaceful first term in office: in 2002 there was a failed coup against him and rebels seized the north of a country. A civil war broke out in 2004 and nine french soldiers were killed in an air strike against rebels; France destroyed the country’s air force and Gbagbo’s forces attacked French expatriates in the area. Mr. Gbagbo has built his image around his opposition to colonialism and France’s “paternalistic” relations with former colonies, reports France 24.

Sia Kambou / AFP / Getty Images

Ivorian strongman Laurent Gbagbo gestures as he chats with the President of Sierra Leone Ernest Koroma following their meeting with President Boni Yayi of Benin on December 28, 2010 at the Presidential Palace in Abidjan.

In power since the year 2000, Mr. Gbagbo hangs onto his presidential position by a string, through “perpetual maneuvering” and “election postponements” reports the New York Times.

In November of 2010, Mr. Gbagbo lost a presidential election and has since refused to relinquish power.

Officials have shut off his access to the country’s accounts at the regional central bank in mid-January.

According to compiled current sources from the Encyclopedia Britannica, Mr. Gbagbo has managed to “circumvent”  financial pressure for a while: “despite the BCEAO decision, he was able to withdraw funds for a short period of time,” the sources say. “Before the decision was enforced, he then seized the bank’s branches. When commercial banks in the country began announcing in February 2011 that they would need to suspend operations, Gbagbo responded by declaring his intent to nationalize the banks and keep them operational.”

Alassane Ouattara is a member of the Rally of the Republicans, who function on an ideology of democratic liberalism; politically, the group rests at the centre.

Luc Gnago / Reuters

An anti-Gbagbo protester holds a portrait of presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara during a demonstration in Abobo March 8, 2011.

Issouf Sanogo / AFP / Getty Images

Ivory Coast’s internationally recognised leader, Alassane Ouattara before a meeting with Africa’s mediator in Ivorian leadership crisis, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, at a hotel on January 17, 2011 in Abidjan.

According to governments around Africa and the world, The United Nations and the African Union, Mr. Ouattara is the rightful President-elect of the Ivory Coast since November of 2010.

According to the New York Times, Mr. Ouattara “… remains blockaded in a hotel by Mr. Gbagbo’s security forces, even as new sanctions and financial pressures are enforced by officials,” even though a panel of African presidents recently called for the forces to back off.

The 68 year-old is a former prime minister, banker and top International Monetary Fund official. Mr. Ouattara received more than 54% of the vote in the November presidential election compared to Mr. Gbabo’s 45%.

He is noted by the people as the most capable of relating to the West, though some in the nation view him as their pawn.

Mr. Ouattara was born in Dimbokro, Côte d’Ivoire, on January 1, 1942, and holds a Ph. D. in economics (1972) from the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Issouf Sanogo / AFP / Getty Images

Residents gather on the street where security forces loyal to Ivory Coast’s strongman, Laurent Gbagbo, opened fire on demonstrators, killing at least six women, on March 3, 2011 in Abobo, a working class neighborhood of Abidjan.

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Elspeth Lodge March 4, 2011 – 1:52 pm

Conflict in the Ivory Coast has put the nation on the cusp of a civil war. Below, what it’s all about, and the actions being taken to remedy the situation.

 

Issouf Sanogo / AFP / Getty Images

Families flee the neighbourhood of Abobo PK 18, a suburb of Abidjan, carrying luggage on their heads, on February 24, 2011.

What’s the country’s current situation?

The Ivory Coast is on the brink of civil war due to conflict between forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo and the man internationally held to have defeated him in November’s second round presidential election, Alassane Outtara.

What’s being planned to dissolve the conflict?

The African Union tasked a panel of five African presidents in January to come up with a solution, accepted by both camps, by the end of February. The panel met in February to consider solutions, but near the end of the month the deadline was pushed to the end of March. Now, the panel find themselves returning to mediate the raging political crisis on Friday. “The five (presidents) will meet for two hours in Nouakchott before taking their flight to Abidjan,” said a Mauritanian diplomatic source.

OK. So who’s on the panel?

It’s headed by Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and includes Tanzania’s Jakaya Kikwete, South African President Jacob Zuma, Idriss Deby Itno of Chad and Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso.

 

Reuters / Luc Gnago

Anti-Gbagbo protesters stand near a roadblock and burning tyres in the Abobo area of Abidjan March 3,2011.

What’s behind the recent escalation in the conflict?

Animosity erupted Thursday when UN peacekeeping chief, Alain Le Roy, told the UN security council that pro-Gbagbo forces opened fire with machine guns on a group of women demonstrators, killing at least six, in the northern Abobo neighborhood of Abidjan, a staunchly pro-Ouattara area.  The Security Council urged the UN mission on the coast, ONUCI, including 11,000 troops. “to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate, in particular to protect civilians.”

What effect is the violence having on aid agencies?

 

Luke Gnago / Reuters

Anti-Gbagbo protester stands with a knife near a roadblock and burning tyres in the Abobo area of Abidjan March 3,2011.The placards read “Gbagbo – the pharaoh of modern times” (top) and “Gbagbo – too much blood poured because of you.”

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees announced on Friday that due to erupting violence they have halted their mission to build a camp for displaced people on the western Ivory Coast and suspended activities there. UNHCR spokeswoman, Melissa Flemming, said approximately 70,000 people have been displaced in the west due to heavy clashes around the towns of  Duekoue and Blolequin. She told journalists in Geneva “We’re not operating there anymore, unfortunately, due to the fighting and insecurity.”

 

Reuters / Thierry Gouegnon

A girl wipes herself with a towel at St. Ambrose church in Abobo, Abidjan March 1, 2011, a temporary refuge for people fleeing from clashes between forces loyal to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and his rival Alassane Ouattara.

Aid agencies have been forced by violence in he area of Abidjan to cut-back in delivering their services to approximately 200,000 displaced people.

“We do still  have our staff in Abidjan, but we see roadblock outside our office. It is now very difficult for us to move around and reach the people in need, we’re having to rely more and more on local NGOs,” said Ms. Flemming.

 

Reuters / Thierry Gouegnon

A man distributes bread to children at St. Ambrose church in Abobo, Abidjan March 1, 2011, a temporary refuge for people fleeing from clashes between forces loyal to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and his rival Alassane Ouattara.

With files from AFP and Reuters