The U.S. Government (USG) is working to support Ivoirian efforts to develop a government that is more transparent, inclusive, equitable, and accountable in delivering services to people as part of the work under our Transition Assistance Priorities. Developing an effective and responsive government is a tremendous challenge for Ivoirian leaders as the country has suffered not only as a result of the most recent crisis but from a civil war over the past decade.
USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives’ Cote d’Ivoire Transition Initiative (OTI-CITI) supports projects across Cote d’Ivoire that help local authorities be more responsive to the needs of their citizens. In Bouake, OTI-CITI helped local government authorities to organize a half-day roundtable which gave city and prefectural authorities an opportunity to recognize the contributions of civil society, listen to grievances, and discuss concrete actions the state could take to improve its role as a service provider. During the civil war Bouake residents encountered significant hardships as factories closed, economic activities were paralyzed, and normal state services, such as health and education, ground to a halt. The roundtable allowed nearly 200 people representing over 50 associations, including vendors, farmers, motorcycle taxi drivers, human rights groups, women’s associations, and traditional chiefs to talk openly with local government officials about the recent past and how government can be more responsive to citizens.