Transitional Justice And Reconciliation:A Quest For Peace And Justice In Cote D’Ivoire

Since 2011,the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire has endured a series of military-political conflicts that have lasted more than a decade.These attacks resulted in poor governance and a lack of strategic policies with one common denominator:significant material harm and human lives lost.In the hierarchy of horror,serious offenses have been committed(war crimes,crimes against humanity).Due to the gravity of these crimes,which go beyond human comprehension,Cote d’Ivoire has begun a process of transitional justice,using judicial and non-judicial measures to confront its painful past and reconcile the country’s divided populations and communities.How to integrate justice into a more global strategy of the transitional process for a true national reconciliation favorable to a new democratic future?Certainly,repression of these crimes by Ivorian courts,the International Criminal Court(ICC),or under universal jurisdiction is a priority goal pursued by this country.However,Ivorian justice has demonstrated that it is incapable of judging all of the perpetrators due to their large number and the seriousness of the facts caused by them.As a result,Ivorian authorities have considered other complementary mechanisms in criminal justice aimed at reuniting the divided communities,such as the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Dialogue Commission.It is responsible for establishing a historical truth about the crimes of the past to finally turn the page.Aside from this traditional institution of national reconciliation,other structures were created,or to fill the gaps of previous initiatives,or to know other new areas.Religion has also played a significant role;it either promotes religious tolerance,acceptance of differences,or the peaceful resolution of conflicts,or it appears to be a cause of conflicts,by promoting or disseminating hateful and divisive messages.How can the process of national reconciliation be carried out without endorsing impunity practices in the process of reconciling these two goals?In this sense,the repression of serious crimes appears to be a necessary transitional justice mechanism.Finally,the crises in Cote d’Ivoire are driven by political as well as institutional factors.This is why,among other things,the Security Sector Reform(SSR)with the disarmament,demobilisation,and reintegration of all combatants is being implemented.As part of the good governance and constitutional justice reforms,actions in power will now be subject to the law.