Understanding the Border Area in Northern Côte d’Ivoire Research Series

Once spared by attacks from armed extremist groups in the Sahel, Côte d’Ivoire now joins other West African countries in facing the challenge of extremism and other forms of violence perpetrated by armed groups and criminal actors operating from neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali. Armed militants have expanded their reach into Côte d’Ivoire over the last two years, as breakthrough activity from Burkina Faso and Mali spreads to the country’s northern region—an area characterized by economic, social, and political fragility. Violence in Côte d’Ivoire and other countries of coastal West Africa has emerged as an issue of increasing concern, as armed attacks have been on the rise since 2016 and present challenges for peace, security, and stability.
With these issues in mind, the United States Agency for International Development’s Resilience for Peace Project (R4P) implemented a survey in northern Côte d’Ivoire exploring views of socioeconomic conditions and governance, the area’s security situation and services, and assets of resilience. The current survey results are baseline measurements. The R4P team will monitor measurements during each survey to track changes over time.

Read more about the research here!