Cote d'Ivoire: The President Divides the Opposition

Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo nominated the leader of Cote d'Ivoire's rebel New Forces, Guillaume Soro, to be prime minister March 27. Soro's incorporation into the government is aimed to shore up Gbagbo's hold on power, and was timed with the country's lucrative spring cocoa harvest in mind. Though Gbagbo has not resolved other controversial issues dividing the country's north and south, the deal with Soro effectively sunders the president's political opponents.