The Legacy of Felix Houphouet-Boigny - Cote d'Ivoire Essay

The Legacy of Felix Houphouet-Boigny - Cote dIvoire - Essay ExampleThis effect was so strong, that during Houphouet-Boignys reign, Cote dIvoire was perceived as a model state and one to be aspired to. Consequently, on Houphouet-Boignys death, he left a evidential legacy in his country. Since Houphouet-Boigny died, the sovereign state has been subject to significant inner conflict which cumulated in a civil war and high tensions across the country. Currently, with a democratically elected president of Cote dIvoire, there is a chance that the legacy of Houphouet-Boigny ordain be realized and the country may return to stability and economic prosperity. Houphouet-Boigny Cote dIvoire is a highly diverse state, containing more than 60 different heathenal groups. The varied nature of this population makes peace difficult, and the effectiveness of political power has varied depending on the political leader (Cocodia, 2008). This diversity is prevalent without the African nations and is t hought to be one of the key factors. Currently, there are approximately 20.2 million people living in Cote dIvoire (BBC News, 2011). The main ethnic groups in the region are Akan, which comprise 42.1% of the population, Voltaiques or Gur (17.6%), Northen Mandes (16.5%) and Krous (11.5%). A number of small ethnic groups also exist. Religion is also highly varied, with 38.6% of the population being Muslim, 32.8% Christian, 11.9% autochthonic and 16.7% none. This distri besidesion is confounded by the fact that approximately 70% of migratory workers are Muslim and 30% are Christian (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). These factors show the significant challenges that Houphouet-Boigny faced in the creation of a unified country. Additionally, they show the ease in which the country could fall back into tension and conflict. Each ethnic or religious group has different perceptions about many things, such as politics and rights. Consequently, if a president aligns himself with a particul ar group, he may fire two or three others. This makes the creation of a representative and unifying government difficult. Felix Houphouet-Boigny achieved peace and unity in his country through two means. The graduation exercise of these was the redistribution of wealth away from ethnic groups that were traditionally rich to those that were poor. This was a crucial move as it not only helped to stabilize the states economy, but it also assisted Houphouet-Boigny to become recognized as a fair leader as his own ethnic group was one that he shifted coin away from. Furthermore, this aided to provide strong ethnic stabilization as no group was treated as superior to another. Secondly, Houphouet-Boigny worked to maintain peace through sharing and redistributing power (Tangeras & Lagerlof, 2009). While he was in power, Houphouet-Boigny maintain a strong conscious focus over politics and the distribution of power among ethnic groups. In doing this, he was able to avoid the buildup of ten sions within the nation (Cocodia, 2008). Through these actions, Houphouet-Boigny was able to create a government that most people supported. As president, Houphouet-Boigny maintained strong authority, significantly grew the economy of Cote dIvoire and gained respect from his people by running a highly representative government (Cocodia, 2008). Despite the fact that two Houphouet-Boigny and his