After four months of torturous political deadlock, an endgame is in sight in Côte d?Ivoire. The internationally-recognized winner of the 2010 presidential elections, Alassane Ouattara, gave incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo every opportunity to bow out peacefully.
He refused, and Ouattara and his allies correctly concluded that military force was the only option left.The military offensive proceeded faster than anyone anticipated. From their stronghold in the north, the Republican Forces of Côte d?Ivoire fighting on behalf of Ouattara rolled. In a matter of a few days, they took key towns in the west, east, and center without major military combat or loss of life. Now they are poised to capture the big prize of Abidjan, the commercial and political heart of the country. [Co-authored by UW-Madison political scientist Scott Straus].