The First Ivorian Civil War

I was seventeen when it happened.

Troops, many of whom originated from the north of the country, mutinied in the early hours of 19 September 2002. They launched attacks in many cities, including Abidjan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Ivorian_Civil_War

The original plan was to graduate high school in Abidjan, but that was now out of the question. Our family awoke around 4:30am to the sounds of gunfire. At first I wasn't sure what it was. My brother and I had stayed up late the night before cramming for some exams we had the next day so we both were in a haze. It was when our Mom came running into our rooms with such a look of fright on her face that I knew this shit was real.

"Rebels are trying to take over the country!" She yelled into my room as I sat up in my bed.

It was surprising how easy it was to pick out all the different weaponry. The quieter slower plap plap plap of pistol fire was the most common throughout, but in the first couple days we heard lots of ak's with the occasional grenades. Mounted in vehicles, the 50 cal was used sparingly as I imagine the ammo was quite expensive. But the sniper fire was the easiest to pick out because the shooter was right outside our perimeter!

We had the unfortunate pleasure of living in a house across a major intersection from a gendarmerie (military police) station and school. Being a major intersection, of course the rebels used it as well and we became the backdrop for the scene of the attack. It took about a week before things settled down enough to not be terrified even walking near windows. Eventually we were able to go outside briefly to inspect the damage and saw a few random bullet holes against the perimeter concrete walls. But more scary than that was seeing signs of an attempted break-in through our roof. It had a secure gate for access out on top that looked like someone used a crowbar on it trying to get it in. Perhaps it was that sniper?

On the first night of the uprising, former president Robert Guéi was killed. There is some dispute as to what actually happened that night. The government said he had died leading a coup attempt, and state television showed pictures of his body in the street. However, it was widely claimed that his body had been moved after his death and that he had actually been murdered at his home along with fifteen other people.

This isn't just widely "claimed." I was there, and I know for a fact he was chased down and murdered along with his wife and children. While we were all trapped in our house during the constant gunfire, what else were we to do but listen for every update on what was happening? And this was actually one of the first events that occurred that night, the rebels were clearly out for him and Ouattara as well.

Alassane Ouattara took refuge in the French embassy, and his home was burned down.

But Wiki got this part wrong too. He actually was hiding at one of my friend's places who happened to be the daughter of the German ambassador, but I won't bring her name up here.

Finally after a couple weeks, the gunfire had subsided enough and the American Embassy was able to evacuate us all in armored vehicles with the Marine Security Detachment Guard as escorts.

What is sad is how many lives have been lost in the years of conflict that have plagued Ivory Coast and so few have ever heard about. Even outside of their civil wars, there have been many graphic stories of mass killings including news outlets, "political" opposition, and at one point an entire village was mowed down so the military could try out the new helicopter they bought from the Russians. There was even a person who stumbled upon a mass pile of bodies just sitting openly out in the forest.

What can be done to help such a beautiful country keep itself together without crumbling apart in corruption, death and destruction?