Understanding War


Bertin Kouadio Ph.D. ’09 examines the causes of civil war in his home country of Ivory Coast in the hope of charting a conflict-free future for Africa

By Madeline Baró

Bertin Kouadio is used to being first.

A member of the minority Beng people in Côte d’Ivoire, he was the first among the Beng people to move to the United States. And in December, when he walked across the stage at FIU’s U.S. Century Bank Arena, he became the first Beng person to obtain a Ph.D. in the United States, an achievement that he hopes will help him build a better future for his African homeland. His doctoral dissertation represents the first comprehensive scholarly work to examine the political, social and economic causes of the Ivory Coast civil war.

“We are a small community and I am proud to attain the highest level of education and, eventually, become the voice of my people,” said Kouadio, who is an assistant professor and chairman of the international studies department at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa. “This is an accomplishment that my family and the entire community also take pride in. I hope to apply my years of research and study to solving some of the most pressing problems in my country in general, and our region in particular.”

The eldest of six children, Kouadio was born in Kossangbé (District of Mbahiakro) to a peasant farming family. Because of the structure of the schooling system in Côte d’Ivoire, each stage of Kouadio’s education took him to a different part of the country, where he learned new languages and about different cultures. Today he is fluent in seven languages, including his native Beng and French, as well as English and several African languages. He is also proficient in German.

Internal conflict in Côte d’Ivoire interrupted his legal studies in the early 1990s, with the advent of multiparty democracy, which swept the whole of Africa. The country had been under the one-party system from 1960-1990.

Through a friendship he had forged over the years with anthropologist Alma Gottlieb (whom Kouadio calls “my American mom”), a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has studied the Beng people, Kouadio came to the United States in 1994 to study at the University of Illinois.

There, he had to start from the beginning because the education system was different from that of the Côte d’Ivoire. Kouadio spent a year studying English and eventually obtained his bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in African studies, both from the University of Illinois. After meeting FIU international relations professor John Clark at a conference in Nashville, Tenn., Kouadio decided to pursue his Ph.D. in international relations at FIU.

Understanding war

Kouadio looked homeward for his dissertation, seeking to understand the causes of his country’s civil war. “Côte d’Ivoire is an interesting case because it was stable for a long period of time, apparently making it an infertile ground for conflict,” Kouadio writes in his dissertation. “Since the civil war in Côte d’Ivoire was so unexpected, it should have something interesting to tell us about civil wars in general and African civil wars since the end of the Cold War in particular.”

An economic crisis in the 1980s in Côte d’Ivoire was followed by failed political reform in the 1990s that led to years of political and social conflict. A 1999 military coup was soon followed by civil war in September 2002.

Kouadio’s research identifies a number of causes: an economic crisis that impoverished large numbers of Ivorians, the end of a one-party system and consequent changes in the country’s relationship with France, weakened state institutions and the absence of sound immigration policies to deal with an influx of refugees from other African countries. All of these provided a social context and created the conditions that led to the war.

Kouadio said he hopes his research will help Ivorian and other African leaders understand the root of internal conflicts and use that in creating more stable futures for their countries.

“The crisis is very personal to me as it has had a tremendous impact on our region and people,” Kouadio said. “I want to make sure people, especially our leaders, understand the causes of the war and to understand the long-term implications. Countries who haven’t gone through this kind of war can also take advantage of this knowledge. This has important policy implications.”

When Kouadio travels back to Côte d’Ivoire, he does not go to his home region because it is still under rebel control and it would be unsafe for him to do so. He is also very cautious while in the country as a political scientist doing work on that very crisis.

Professor John Clark, Kouadio’s mentor at FIU, said Kouadio’s research has a unique insider’s perspective.

“Few researchers could or would travel to the country in the midst of war, or have access to those in a position to understand the war’s outbreak,” Clark said.

Clark also praised Kouadio’s perseverance and his devotion to teaching. While at FIU, Kouadio was twice nominated for an Excellence in Teaching Award, winning one in spring 2005. At the University of Illinois, students ranked him as an “excellent instructor” on several occasions and in 1998, he won the Language Teacher of the Year Award.

“His love of teaching has been a source of energy and renewal for him,” Clark said. “His quiet confidence and determination have carried him through to success.”

A born leader

On his mother’s side, Kouadio is descended from the traditional leaders of his region, who make decisions for the area and settle disputes. Under normal circumstances Kouadio would become a leader at some point in his adult life, in line after one of his uncles.

Although Kouadio, whose soft-spoken demeanor belies his steely determination, does not formally have those responsibilities, many back home look to him for leadership and guidance, something he takes seriously. He has worked with the U.S. embassy on a project to bring running water to all of the villages in his region through the establishment of water pump stations.

With a cousin who is a police commissioner, Kouadio has also been discussing ways to help their home region through partnerships with foreign non-governmental organizations.

When Kouadio describes his home it is with fondness. Family and community play an important role in his community. Like in many African societies, the group has primacy over the individual. The adults take responsibility for the upbringing of all the children, so it is not unusual for one person to correct or reprimand another’s child, if necessary. Once a year, around Easter, those who moved to the city return home to celebrate Pakinou, or “reunion.”

“The family connection is strong, and sharing is most important, especially in times of happiness, grief, sorrow and resource scarcity,” Kouadio said. “Our region has many needs and we are trying to make sure we provide for ourselves until the government is able to do so, especially after seven years of civil war.”

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