Julia L. Ritchey » Audio

Ivory Coast in Crisis

julia — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 16:07:32 +0000

Ivory Coast has been in trouble for a while now. With incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo refusing to relinquish power to his rival Alassane Ouattara, and more atrocities being committed by forces on both sides, there seems to be no end in sight to this nightmare. At the beginning of the week, I wrote a piece for The Daily Beast that summarized the state of affairs at the moment Ouattara’s forces cornered him in a basement bunker at his presidential residence. Here’s an excerpt:

In Abidjan, Ivory Coast, residents have barricaded themselves in their homes, away from the heavy gunfire, as gangs of rival armed militiamen are patrolling the streets in pickup trucks, and gun-toting youths are looting shops and houses whose terrified occupants have long since fled. A few brave souls are risking their lives in search of sustenance, scurrying outside looking for water and trolling the markets in search of food—only to be confronted with long lines and mostly empty shelves. Last night, all were cowering indoors, watching French and United Nations helicopters drop bombs and flares on the presidential palace, state television building and military camps.

Beyond the locked doors, forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara, the man the international community agrees won a Nov. 28 presidential, election, have launched a major assault on the city, determined to once and for all evict Laurent Gbagbo, the long-time president who lost the election but has refused to step down. In addition to the rebels, Gbagbo now faces French and U.N. peacekeepers, who fired on his militias after days of harassment. France, the former colonial power, has authorized its forces to take out Gbagbo’s heavy weaponry. And Abidjan is emerging as the Ivorian strongman’s last stand.

Click here to read the entire piece.

Also, here’s a radio piece of a breaking news story I did when Ouattara’s forces first started encroaching Abidjan. It’s been surprising how Gbagbo, despite most everyone’s predictions, has managed to hold on for an entire 10 days since this happened.

Front page photo credit to Nico Colombant

West Africa Mulls Ways to Mitigate Climate Change

julia — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:29:50 +0000

From eroding coastline to depleted fish stocks, the effects of climate change are being felt along West Africa’s coast. Governments and environmental groups are now coming together to talk about what can be done to mitigate its impact. Listen to my report below.

Slideshow from my field trip to Palmarin on the southern Senegalese Coast.

Anti-Government Protests Hit Dakar

julia — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 01:46:18 +0000

Protesters staged a large anti-government rally in Senegal’s capital Saturday just hours after the government said it had arrested several suspects accused of planning a coup d’etat. My audio report follows.

Picture album with captions.

World Social Forum

julia — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:35:08 +0000

The World Social Forum wrapped up Friday in Dakar, Senegal. The forum gives anti-globalization activists and civil society leaders a chance promote progressive grassroots causes. Below are the two pieces I filed for the open and close of the event.

Activists at World Social Forum Seek World Without Capitalism

At Close of World Social Forum, Activists Draw Inspiration from Uprisings

Senegal Launches New Airline

julia — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 19:51:37 +0000

A new regional air carrier called Senegal Airlines will begin flights this month to neighboring countries in West Africa. My report:

More pictures from the official ceremony:

Other pieces I completed this week:

January 18, 2011 –Niger Kidnappings Show Emboldened Reach of al-Qaida

January 21, 2011 – Russian Arms Dealer’s Trial Resumes Amid Calls for Global Arms Treaty