The deck of this article below the headline says it all. As Japan recovers from its devastating natural disasters and civil war continues in Libya, West Africa, specifically the Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) is on the brink of civil war itself. The tensions stem from the results of last November's presidential elections, in which the incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo declared his victory despite supposedly losing. The alleged winner, opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, has continued his claim for the presidency and forces loyal to him have started fighting with Gbagbo's troops. The nation endured a savage civil war, one of several in West Africa at that time, during the earlier part of the last decade and hasn't really recovered from it. If war was to break out again, it would be devastating and would require intervention from West African, African or even the international community.

Former NY Times foreign correspondent Howard French writes a sad commentary on the decline of the Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire). The beleaguered West African country, known for being Dider Drogba's homeland, cocoa and a civil war that raged through the 90s, was in the news recently for its electoral problems. Defeated incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept his loss in the presidential election and claims the results are void. What is especially noteworthy in French's article is his comparison between Ivory Coast and Asian countries, which in the past actually favored the African country. It is hard to believe now that back in the 60s and 70s, West African countries like Ivory Coast were wealthier than China and Malaysia and even South Korea in terms of GDP per capita. While those Asian countries have gone on and become richer and more modern, countries like Ivory Coast seem to have regressed. Still, the instant and critical response of West African and African bodies, as well as the US, to the current power-grab is a sign of hope.