Demand Reparations to Help Address Climate Change in West Africa

Earth Rights Institute (ERI), West Africa office demands reparations on behalf of the people of the Ivory Coast. ERI, upon request of the Ivory Coast government, helped to build a “green wall” of trees over the last twenty years to help combat climate change in the region. When the government suddenly started pillaging the trees, ERI stood up against them. Murder, disease, and rape were the results. Between 2008 and 2010, rogue Ivory Coast soldiers under the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles murdered humanitarian aid workers, occupied and looted ERI sites, tortured and raped women, and systematically contaminated humanitarian workers with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Even though President Alassane Ouattara commenced reparations in the country, the northern region, including the Departments of Katiola and Dabakala, continues to be neglected in the peace and reconciliation movement.

While the economic situation in the country has improved in the past few years, the population in the northern region of the Ivory Coast is still a victim of violent attacks by criminals. The region has been neglected in the peace process.
It is now essential to ensure the stability of the region, by giving reparations for all the human rights abuses that occurred in the area.

By signing this petition we are calling upon the international community, including the United States Government, United States Ambassador to the Ivory Coast, the European Union, and the AWEPA to
1.) put pressure on the Ivory Coast government to include the northern region in the reparations program.
2.) to politically and financially support the local civil society in its efforts to ensure peace and stability in the country and address climate change, especially in the northern region.

Please, we need your signature to put pressure on the government of Ivory Coast to bring back stability and peace in the Northern region and to stop climate change which affects us all! Thank you!

Note: Contacting your U.S. congressional representative is another great way to push to this issue further. The human rights report is available upon request and a sample letter is also available. Please contact with any questions.