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The violence that erupted after the Ivory Coast’s November 28th election has reached a fever pitch. Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo who had ruled the West African nation for over a decade, lost the election to Alassane Ouattara, but refused to give up power. The United Nations, the African Union, and the Economic Community Of West African States all recognize Ouattara as the President-elect. The US has frozen assets owned by Gbagbo and his family and barred American citizens from financial dealings with the rogue president. But the Ivory Coast army and factions of the media openly support Gbagbo. More than 200 people have died in post-election violence and more than 20,000 have fled the fighting over the border into Liberia. Ouattara, who is holed up in a hotel in Abidjan has called for a West African special forces operation through the UN to forcibly remove Gbagbo from power. The hotel remains under siege by Gbagbo’s forces.

GUEST: Emira Woods, Co-Director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies

Find out more at www.fpif.org.