Pro-Government Militias
Chevaux (Cote d'Ivoire)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 551 |
| Country: | Cote d'Ivoire |
| Date formed: | March 7, 2011 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The militia appeared in 2011 when Ouattara became president. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | No information. |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | noinf |
| Former Group? | no information |
| Former Armed Group? | no information |
| Former Rebel Group? | no information |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no information |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no information | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; plunder and loot |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | mercenary |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Western region; mainly Toulepleu, Blolequin and other towns near the Liberian border |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | civilians; unarmed political opposition, government critics; ethnic group |
| Purpose(s): | intimidation of ethnic/religious groups; intimidation of civilians; intimidate political opposition |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | Krahn (Guere) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | given |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | Krahn (Guere) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | given |
Other Information
| Other Information: | Made up of mercenaries from Burkina Faso and Guinea, the militia hunts down perceived supporters of former president Gbagbo - mostly at night; work together with the Kofi Annan Boys and Ouattara's 'Revolutionary Forces' |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | They targeted political opposition and people of Guere ethnicity. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | Militia members attacked alleged Gbagbo supporters and of Guere ethnicity indiscriminately. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | unclear |
| Reasons for Membership: | Mercenaries from Burkina Faso and Guinea joined the militia. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | No information. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The militiamen were reported to be heavily armed, but there is no information on their specific equipment. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The militia is backed by President Ouattara, but there is no information on the chain of command. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.