Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

Young Patriots (Cote d'Ivoire)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 43
Country: Cote d'Ivoire
Date formed: Sept. 22, 2002
    Accuracy of date formed: month
Details of Formation: Previously unarmed youth wing of the Ivoirian Patriotic Front (FPI). Armed by President Gbagbo after an attempted military coup where several cities were attacked by soldiers (September 19, 2002)
Date dissolved: April 11, 2011
    Accuracy of date dissolved: day
Details of Termination: The militia was created in June 2001 by Charles Blé Goudé as an unarmed youth group that supported the former President of Côte d’Ivoire Laurent Gbagbo. The group “Young Patriots” developed after Goudé’s former youth movement split into two groups and was armed after the failed coup in 2002. (Wikipedia)
Termination Type(s): change in government

Former and Successor Group Information

Predecessor group(s): none
Successor group(s): none
Private Military Company? no
Former Group? yes
    Former Armed Group? no
Former Rebel Group? no
    Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: none
PGM Becomes Rebel Group? unclear
    Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: none

Government Relation, Support, and Training

Government Relation: informal (type 1)
Created by the Government?: no
    Main Creating Government Institution: none
Government Link(s): person/minister; political party
    If link to party, name of party: Ivoirian Patriotic Front (FPI)
Training and Equipment: yes
Shared Information and Joint Operations: yes
Shared Personnel: unclear
Type(s) of Material Support: domestic government; plunder and loot
State Sponsor(s): none
Other Connection(s):

Group Characteristics

Membership: mercenary; unemployed; adolescents; students
Primary Membership: political
Alternative Primary Membership: no information
Location: Abidjan, Daloa, Guiglo, and San Pedro
Force Strength: [unknown, 12000]
Target(s): civilians; immigrants; unarmed political opposition, government critics; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; ethnic group; international peacekeeping force; foreigners; journalists
Purpose(s): protect state, national or religious leader(s); self-defense and security; intimidation of ethnic/religious groups

Ethnic Characteristics

Ethnic Target(s): Northerners (Mande and Voltaic/Gur) (Cote d'Ivoire)
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: inferred
Ethnic Membership: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: not applicable
Ethnic Purpose: Northerners (Mande and Voltaic/Gur) (Cote d'Ivoire)
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: inferred

Other Information

Other Information: The militia is tied to the Alliance des jeunes patriotes pour le sursaut national ("Youth Alliance for National Survival") which was created in 2002 by Goudé (Wikipedia). Other names for the group are Congres Panafricain des Jeunes Patriotes (COJEP), Pan African Congress of Young Patriots and New Patriots. Their leader Goudé was also appointed minister in Gbagbo’s government.

New Variables from Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Purpose: The group organized multiple attacks against UN peacekeeping forces and foreign institutions, notably French ones. They cooperated with the government because former President Gbagbo’s nationalist policies aligned with their ideology and because Gbagbo used them to fight against rebel forces after the failed coup d’état in 2002. Their attacks on foreigners and peacekeepers demonstrate their intended purpose. The Ivorian government was able to use the militia to control and attack political opposition. (Wikipedia)
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use unknown

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians: The Young Patriots have reportedly attacked civilians indiscriminately. Their use of violence contributed to the escalation of the failed coup in 2002, which eventually led to the civil war until 2011. This behavior was endorsed by the government.
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: killing; beating; sexual violence

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? no
PGM Members Paid? yes
Reasons for Membership: Members were young supporters of former President Gbagbo and his party who were mostly from the Christian south of Côte d’Ivoire (Wikipedia). Membership was heavily restricted by only allowing 20 to 32-year-olds of “Ivorian descent” to join the organization (Wikipedia).
PGM Members Killed? no information

PGM Size

Size: No information.

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: Young Patriot members used automatic weapons, but also sticks and machetes against their targets. The PGM received military training.

Organisation

Organisation: The Young Patriots were created and led by Charles Blé Goudé. After the coup attempt in 2002 he incorporated the group into the "Youth Alliance for National Survival" (Alliance des jeunes patriotes pour le sursaut national) which also included the militia "Student Federation of Côte d’Ivoire (FESCI)" among other movements. (Wikipedia)

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

Wikipedia. “Congrès Panafricain des Jeunes et des Patriotes“.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congr%C3%A8s_Panafricain_des_Jeunes_et_des_Patriotes

Evidence