00:00:00.00

00:00:02.00 a walkerfilm production      [TEXT] 00:00:04.15

00:00:05.20 festival laurels graphic        [GRAPHIC] 00:00:10.22

00:00:15.15 Shadow Work                [TEXT] 00:00:19.15

00:00:21.12 January 2006                [TEXT] 00:00:25.10

 

00:00:25.10

Charles Blé Goudé and his followers attack the UN headquarters in Abidjan. [TEXT] 00:00:31.17

 

00:00:36.20

They demand the removal of all UN and French peacekeepers from Ivory Coast. [TEXT] 00:00:41.22

 

00:00:46.21

I don't have to fear for my life. Because when you devote your life to a fight, and when you are determined to save peoples lives, your life is no more important. I know at any time I can be killed, but it's a choice.'

 

00:00:49.17

Charles Blé Goudé - Militia Leader [TEXT]

 

00:01:14.03 Generation

00:01:15.05 Ble Goude

00:01:16.12 Generation

00:01:17.15 Ble Goude

00:01:18.18 For the takeover

00:01:19.16 We are ready

00:01:20.23 For the take over

00:01:22.00 We are ready

00:01:23.05 For the take over

00:01:24.11 We are ready

 

00:01:59.18

Generation - Charles Blé Goudé [TEXT]  00:02:02.14

 

00:02:03.06

This is what Ble Goude gave us, he thinks about the youth and all of Ivory Coast, he travels the country, he's concerned for the youth. He thinks about the future.

 

00:02:24.21 [NARRATION]

I first read about Charles Blé Goudé in an article in the New Yorker.

 

00:02:29.04 [NARRATION]

Some called him 'The General' for his ability to amass tens of thousands of youth into the streets within hours.

 

 

00:02:36.00 [NARRATION]

Some called him 'The Machete' for the way he dealt with his rivals

 

00:02:40.18 [NARRATION]

The UN Security Council submitted his name for sanctions

 

00:02:44.19 [NARRATION]

And the American government called him a terrorist and put him on their watch list.

 

00:02:49.24 [NARRATION]

The more I read about him the more intrigued I became and when he proclaimed that he would take over the country if the current president was not reelected

 

00:02:58.00 [NARRATION]

I decided to go to Ivory Coast to see how a thirty something student could do all this.

 

00:03:08.17

When the patriots of Ivory Coast arrive, they arrive with only one picture, they arrive with only one picture, they arrive with only one picture. There you have it.

 

00:03:19.05

He knows how manage and handle the youth.

00:03:23.04

And he knows how to rally people, how to set seeds of revolution in their mind.

 

00:03:30.17

We were together in FESCI. I was responsible for the mobilization and organization and Ble Goude was working for me. I see someone who is very engaged in the human rights question. I see someone who is not like today, because if I see Ble Goude talking about the stranger, talking about the white people who need to be shut down I did not recognize my friend.

 

00:04:11.15 [TEXT]

Ivory Coast recent history

 

00:04:16.11 [TEXT]

Ethnic tension leads to violence in 2002

00:04:24.22 [TEXT]

South controlled by militias loyal to President Gbagbo

00:04:29.17 [TEXT]

Identified as 'pure Ivorian'

00:04:35.00 [TEXT] 

North controlled by rebel forces

00:04:40.01 [TEXT]

Identified as foreigners and strangers

00:04:46.08 [TEXT]

Northerners wanted equal voting rights

00:04:51.20 [TEXT]

Southerners refused fearing they would lose power

00:04:56.17 [TEXT]

They take citizenship away. War begins.

00:05:00.15 [TEXT]

French army and United Nations intervene and mange a ceasefire

00:05:08.00 [TEXT]

President Gbagbo wins contested election

00:05:11.13 [TEXT]

Northerners excluded from voting

00:05:15.08 [TEXT]

Another election planned

00:05:19.03 [TEXT]

Everyone must be registered

 

00:05:26.11

We fight for our identity. It is very simple. We were Ivorian, I was Ivorian, and one morning a political decision said that I am no longer Ivorian. They gave orders to the police, to arrest me and to retire my ID card and my passport and I ask him why, what is happening.

 

00:05:30.04

Sidiki Konate - Rebel leader [TEXT]

 

00:05:56.11

I couldn't believe that my former comrade would be the one who would take weapons to stop the development of the country.

 

00:06:06.02

I am fighting for the people who are here in Ivory Coast, who are living here. Blé Goudé and I were together on the campus, he knows that I am Ivorian, why did he accept that I am no longer Ivorian today? Because we did not belong to the same party? Should we grow a nation on such consideration?'

 

00:06:30.18 [NARRATION]

Blé Goudé has supported the President since he attended university in the 1990's and when Gbagbo was one of his professors.

 

00:06:40.00 [NARRATION]

The Presidency pays Blé Goudé $80,000 dollars a week to distribute to his followers.

 

00:06:46.16 [NARRATION]

Many of these followers reside at the university in Abidjan and belong to FESCI, a powerful student union formed by both Blé Goudé and Siddiki Konate.

 

00:06:57.13 [NARRATION]

Almost 20 years later FESCI members provide the support that Blé Goudé will need to disrupt the election.

 

00:07:07.18

Abidjan [TEXT]

 

00:07:27.11

University of Abidjan [TEXT]

 

00:07:48.10 [NARRATION]

FESCI controls much of what goes on at the university including which merchants or restaurateurs will do business on campus and who lives in campus accommodations.

 

00:07:58.11 [NARRATION]

The United Nations, national and international human rights groups have accused FESCI of violence against students who don't support the political party of President Gbagbo.

 

00:08:13.15

So this is IB, he is a student. He is a student of FESCI, a militant of FESCI. Show your face. Are you afraid of whites? FESCI are courageous are you afraid of whites? Or are they not white? They are brothers are you afraid of them? He said skin scratched, if we scratch ourselves we will look like you.

 

00:08:39.18

There are so many things that are risky for one to tell. You do what ever they want you to do.

 

00:08:50.09

Because that's the only way you can get money.

 

00:08:52.01

Yes, and if you don't want to do it you will be put in trouble. Serious trouble. You cant say anything. You say all is ok. This is how it works you see reality and you wait for the leaders to tell you about the color, when they say it is red, then you come and say it is red.

 

00:09:21.20

You cannot expose this situation because if you do, it's as if you were against the leaders and you can be hurt somewhere'.

 

00:08:56.03

Richter - FESCI leader [TEXT]

 

00:09:31.21 The police don't come here.

00:09:33.01 It’s a state here.

00:09:34.15 The police are right over there.

00:09:38.01 What happens if you don't agree with their ideology?

00:09:41.12 You get out of here. You leave here.

00:09:44.15 You go elsewhere. This is a republic.

 

00:09:34.15

Non-FESCI students [TEXT]

 

00:09:49.07

Terror on the campus. Two students beaten bloody by FESCI. [TEXT]

 

00:09:58.10

It's here that it happened, at the last line there.

It’s me in the photo but even the people who knew me couldn't recognise me.

 

00:10:13.00 [NARRATION]

The most severe abuse by FESCI has been experienced by members of a rival student union.

 

00:10:18.06 [NARRATION]

One of its leaders has been assassinated, many have been badly beaten and a number of female members gang raped.

 

00:10:26.14 The population, the students, the professors, the state, everybody knows FESCI is a problem at school. Nobody wants to attack them because... they are protected by the power

 

00:10:30.10

Cherif – Student [TEXT]

 

00:10:49.04

Seka - Student [TEXT]

 

00:10:58.15 Before the war broke out FESCI and the current regime were working together. Now they have granted them arms. The campus is a powder keg where hidden arms caches exist. We exposed this to the UN and other organizations.

 

00:11:22.07

FESCI today is a mafia.

 

00:11:28.06

March 2006 [TEXT]

 

00:11:29.03 [NARRATION]

Concerned by a fragile ceasefire and the continued instability between the two sides the French government and the UN pressures the Ivorian cabinet into setting an October date for the election.

 

00:11:41.03 [NARRATION]

Centers are established across the country to register voters.

 

00:11:47.03 [NARRATION]

Campaigning for President Gbagbo Blé Goudé begins to publicly denounce the Northern leaders and accuses the French government and the UN of supporting their rebellion.

 

00:11:57.21 [NARRATION]

To help spread his message he uses The Young Patriots, a youth militia he created outside of the university.

 

00:12:06.24

I was wondering how can I help all the youth of Ivory Coast, not only those that have access to knowledge. Can I teach my knowledge that I learnt to the other part of the young people of the country. This is how I created COJEP. In COJEP you have students, you have schoolboys, you have those that don't go to school, you have those who work, you have those that don't have any job, but you have everybody in it.

 

00:12:25.11

COJEP 'The Young Patriots' [TEXT]

 

00:12:43.22 [NARRATION]

The Young Patriots were just one of many youth militias active in the country at the time.

 

00:12:49.11 [NARRATION]

All of these groups were not only pro-government and anti-north but they were created by former FESCI leaders and friends of Blé Goudé.

 

00:12:58.06 [NARRATION]

The Union of Patriots for the Liberation of Ivory Coast was led by former FESCI leader Eugene Djue and headquartered out of a bar in Yopogon a pro-government suburb of Abidjan.

 

00:13:04.09

Eugene Djué Militia Leader [TEXT]

 

00:13:13.06 [NARRATION]

In March 2006 Eugene Djue and Blé Goudé are sanctioned by the UN Security Council.

 

00:13:21.15

After the sanction the first question is why? Why me? What did I do?

 

00:13:34.16 [NARRATION]

Both men were sanctioned for public statements advocating violence and for acts of violence including beatings, rapes and killings.

 

00:13:43.13

I'm not going to stop my fight because I am sanctioned.

 

00:13:47.06

Those who have taken those sanctions against me if there aim is to influence me, or to intimidate me, I think they are mistaken.'

 

00:14:02.23 [NARRATION]

Concerned that the biggest television station in the country wasn't promoting their agenda FESCI and The Young Patriots stormed their studios in Abidjan shutting the station down and broadcasting their own message.

 

00:14:20.21 [NARRATION]

With no television the public relies on the ‘speakers corners’, open-air venues where public commentators loyal to the government are paid to share their views on recent events.

 

00:15:06.04

We are teaching political here. We have decide to fight against those you know, we call them French, who have never wanted us to become free in Africa. This is why we are here.

 

00:15:24.15 All the imperialists are now planning.

00:15:27.11 They want to get in,

00:15:28.18 because they know we have resources.

00:15:30.15 We know the aren't here to help us with our liberty.

00:15:34.06 Something here is attracting them.

00:15:36.15 We will not give up anything.

00:15:38.09 We are here, they will have to exterminate us to have this Ivory Coast without Laurent Gbagbo

 

00:15:53.21

Yes of course it is analysis. Those who speak are at a certain level, they understand politics, so they come to analyze for others, who aren't necessarily educated. We have both the illiterate and the educated.

 

00:16:11.01

We don't joke around here. This xenophobia, even God is ok with this xenophobia.

 

00:16:20.12

We try to explain to people what really happens in the country.

 

00:16:25.12 430 years of slavery.

00:16:27.14 430 years of suffering.

00:16:29.11 All these years.

00:16:30.12 The slavery

00:16:31.10 The divisions.

00:16:32.03 The colonization.

00:16:33.06 The non-education.

00:16:35.20 We say enough and we want freedom.

00:16:50.08 For us its about victory for Ivory Coast.

 

00:16:59.12

The time for speaking is coming, the time for speaking is coming, we are going to speak because we all know whom the spare parts are in this country.

 

00:17:17.06

Everyone want to be a politician, everybody. They are always talking about politics without knowing what politics is.

 

00:17:28.11

When the conductor of the train goes of the rails, our role as watchmen, as guardians of the republic, I say guardians of the republic, is to put the train back on the track. That’s the combat we are in.

 

00:17:45.15

A political message needs a spin, before talking to people, before giving a message, before giving a speech, there is the shadow work to do, and I want to do that.

 

00:18:06.22

I want to be a politician. A spin doctor like Karl Rove, a spin doctor like Alistair Campbell, a spin doctor like Peter Mandelson, I like it.

 

00:18:20.20

Each son of a poor man now has hope with the arrival of Gbagbo in power. You don't have to be from a rich family when you have good ideas and believe in what you do you can do whatever you want.

 

00:18:54.15

Sicobois - Abidjan Slum [TEXT]

 

00:18:58.17 People are poor here.

00:19:02.06 We call them survivors.

00:19:04.20 The guys who get up in the morning.

00:19:07.10 All they think about is how eat so they can stay standing.

00:19:14.19 It's day to day.

 

00:19:02.06

Sooh and Ollie - Musicians [TEXT]

 

00:19:28.21 You can take garba for 50 francs.

00:19:32.09 This is garba 50 francs and fish 100 francs.

00:19:37.15 It’s good until 6 o’clock.

 

00:19:42.13

That’s where they got the name Garba 50, it’s popular with the youth that’s why they are called Garba 50

00:19:56.22

Those who eat cassava are called palmers.

00:20:00.01

We want to palm the garba.

00:20:05.19

This is garba and very good tuna

 

00:20:09.11

Soul Ulai - Disc jockey [TEXT]

 

00:20:14.04

Super, super we are the palmers.

 

00:20:28.21

Here is the co-commune, there are six enter and sleeps, six rooms. You put your mat down and sleep, they are shared by several families, you pay 7000 francs for rent.

 

00:20:49.05

7000 francs per month.

 

00:20:53.11

Here's the room, it's not very big, it can hold 3 to 5 people. It's extremely hot. It’s very difficult. Each room is two meters squared.

 

00:21:11.18

This is the atmosphere we are in. This where Garba 50 sleeps. I am here with my sister and two brothers, about seven of us live here. It gets hot but we are used to it.

 

00:21:34.03

Before these were all made of wood. Little by little the owner made some money. He made walls but they are not solid. You can be in your room and if someone is beating their wife, or you know... you can hear the noise, and often there is no peace.

 

00:21:54.15

I am poor. There is no money, there is nothing.

 

00:22:01.02 We don’t go to the streets,

00:22:02.10 Because they already took us,

00:22:04.02 Misery is our sickness,

00:22:05.14 We sleep on benches not at the hospital,

00:22:07.09 In our blood is koko and malaria,

00:22:09.23 To eat at noon you have to send prayers,

00:22:12.02 We write on buses,

00:22:13.17 Because the blackboards are for professors,

00:22:16.04 The dogs have fleas,

00:22:17.16 Because they don't have a network,

00:22:19.03 It's like that,

00:22:20.08 The reach of connections worth more than muscles,

00:22:22.13 Your diploma is worth nothing so you become a security guard,

00:22:25.05 The youth are only useful when the demonstrate.

 

00:22:39.02

Generally the kids that live here are orphans. They lost their mother, they lost their father. Those who have a pension are lucky. The pension is around $40. For a guy who has 8 kids the pension is $40. He rents a shack for $5 to$7 and the rest goes to food. Already the kids are not going to school.

 

00:23:10.24

We say in our lyrics that the future is a question. We don't try to respond because we are afraid. We are afraid to confront it. All these here, they grow up, they grow up and then...

 

00:23:22.05

They can't think seriously about studies. They are ripe for political manipulation. When you are in misery you will do anything for food. This is the reality here.

 

00:23:34.15

They get by with alcohol, cigarettes, drugs and violence. You become easy to manipulate.

 

00:23:52.17

What do politicians do? They come to the ghetto and recruit the young. They are given $2 or $5 to go out in the streets and praise politicians. These young guys are killing themselves. Those who bring them to the streets are in their castles or protected by the army or bodyguards. They are at the mercy of politicians who use them as militants.

 

00:24:26.21 [NARRATION]

President Gbagbo’s election campaign continued to build over the summer.

 

00:24:31.06 [NARRATION]

Political rallies were organized throughout the country by local chapters of the FESCI and Young Patriot youth militias.

 

00:24:38.00 [NARRATION]

Blé Goudé continued to use the rallies to further promote his anti-North, anti-French and anti-UN message.

 

00:25:01.15

For us to win our fight we should mobilize our followers.

00:25:19.08

This way we are turning the country going from town to town and villages to villages, so that Mr. Laurent Gbagbo is our candidate, he can win the election.

 

00:25:44.16

His victory is the victory of democracy, thank you.

 

00:26:22.15

I have a masters degree in english linguistics in the United States you can imagine what I can do there for work but in Ivory Coast this means nothing because I don't wear a t-shirt with the picture of a leader. So I am of no use.

 

00:26:50.18 [NARRATION]

Since leaving the university and cutting ties with FESCI Richter has struggled to find work.

 

00:26:58.02 [NARRATION]

Money can be made by being involved in any number of youth groups,

00:27:01.18 but as always there are strings attached.

 

00:27:08.09

We are only useful for elections. When there are elections they tell us, you've got torn cloths, I’ll change your cloths, you’re hungry, I’ll buy you food, you’re sick, I’ll buy you medicine. But after the elections you cannot reach them because they have guards close and you cannot do anything.

 

00:27:35.02

In the coming election there will be two sides, one side manipulated by France, and the other side for the Ivorian, for the dignity of the country, for the real good of the country.

 

00:27:52.23

We have two sides. The North which is controlled by Forces Nouvelle 60%, and then 40% which is considered part of the government. In this part we have two kinds of army, the official army which has no weapons, no authority and no forces in this process. In front of this army we have the young militia and the para-military organization of Mr. Gbagbo Laurent and Ble Goude is one of this group.

 

00:28:31.05

This is a period of democracy we are living, this is a period of communication we are living in, this is a period of debate we are living. If you don't want to live like someone who can accommodate themselves to the situation and you take weapons then you can be considered like a terrorist.

 

00:28:59.21

This is my right to live here, I was Ivorian for 15 years, for 20 years, and one morning the regime come and say I am no longer Ivorian. I tried to have explanation but there was no explanation.

 

00:29:13.04

I told him through a letter that I wrote him, I told him that I fear for him, I am afraid one day a small cell will kill him. I am afraid one day the French authorities who are supporting him now will kill him because he knows too much about them.

 

00:29:41.11

I think that if my friend ble goude tomorrow says ok I will accept that there are problems in ivory coast and ii will accept to play my role as a peace actor I think that I have no problem with ble goude we will work together hand in hand.

 

00:30:05.11

May 2006 [TEXT]

 

00:30:07.14 [NARRATION]

Violence and intimidation continued to plagued the registration centers as pro government groups accused the opposition of illegally adding names to the voter lists.

 

00:30:17.12 [NARRATION]

To increase the security of the process the UN adds additional peacekeepers.

 

00:30:28.14

You have today in the South the regime of Mr. Gbagbo Laurent who created more than 20,000 young militia, which received weapons and money and training from the regime.

 

00:30:42.09

We know that we don't have weapons. Our force, our strength is our gathering, our demonstration, how huge our demonstration can be.

They are well organized and they have a rapid and fast capacity of gathering, which is very important. Which is very, very important.

 

00:31:15.01

They are a militia. This is the reality, they are a militia. We don’t have any proof but what we know is that the political parties say machetes have been distributed to the militias. That's why we talk about Rwanda. And arms that are circulating. If today the same people, Ivorian people who support a group, which gives machetes and arms to this group. When there is a crisis or war erupts, the armed group will attack the group without arms. Otherwise what are the arms for?

 

ADD Aicha - Women’s Peace Group [TEXT]

 

00:32:06.04 [NARRATION]

After weeks at looking at the conflict from an urban point view all I could see was the tension and violence that often comes with poverty and overcrowding.

 

00:32:14.23 [NARRATION]

I needed to get a different perspective.

 

00:32:17.03 [NARRATION]

How was the crisis effecting people outside of the cities? 

 

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