Civil Society and State-Corporate Crime: A Case Study of Ivory Coast

MacManus, Thomas

doi:10.13169/statecrime.3.2.0200

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State Crime Journal

Volume 3, Issue 2

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Article: found

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Civil Society and State-Corporate Crime: A Case Study of Ivory Coast

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Author(s): Thomas MacManus ¹

Publication date (Print, pub): 1 October 2014

Journal: State Crime Journal

Publisher: Pluto Journals

Keywords: state crime, state-corporate crime, Ivory Coast (Republic of Côte d'Ivoire), civil society, criminology

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Abstract

The claims that any civil society organization (CSO) must make to be able to censure states and corporations effectively require a degree of credibility in the eyes of those sections of society that it hopes to influence. Taking the example of the CSO reaction to toxic waste dumping in Ivory Coast, this article seeks to problematize the role of civil society in censuring and controlling crimes committed by governments and corporations. Domestic Ivorian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were discovered to have little capacity to expose, control, constrain or sanction large-scale state-corporate crime, and the newly created victims' organizations — claiming to be genuine CSOs — became involved in the “commodification of victimhood” for profit.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.13169

Journal ID (publisher-id): statecrime

Title: State Crime Journal

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 20466056

ISSN (Electronic): 20466064

Publication date (Print, pub): 1 October 2014

Volume: 3

Issue: 2

Pages: 200-219

Affiliations

[1 ] Queen Mary University of London;

Article

Publisher ID: statecrime.3.2.0200

DOI: 10.13169/statecrime.3.2.0200

SO-VID: 2edfb173-c9c2-4f04-9f1b-f41bcde7ffab

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

Notes

The reported number of deaths ranges from between 16 and 21.
Emails available at http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/09/16/Final_emails.pdf (accessed January 2013).
http://www.rechtspraak.nl/Organisatie/Gerechtshoven/Amsterdam/Nieuws/Pages/Fineimposedon-Trafigura.aspx.
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (APDH).
Rechtspraak, op. cit. n. 1.
The company claimed the settlement of the English case as a “vindication” of its position that the wastes caused no more than “mild flu-like symptoms”.
The Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of the Environment and Forestry (including CIAPOL), Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Abidjan Port Authority, Governor of the District of Abidjan and the parastatals Société Nationale d'Operations Pétrolières de la Côte d'Ivoire (PETROCI) and Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR).
Decree 2006–169/MT/DGAMP/DTMFL of 12 July 2006 (National Commission of Inquiry, 2006: 18, 20 and 58).
Ibid.
Under Article 26 of Decree no. 98–43 ( 1998).
In breach of Article 2 of Law 92–469 ( 1992).
As per Article 4 of Decree no. 97–615 ( 1997).
As per Article 8 of Decree no. 97–615 ( 1997).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (APDH).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (MIDH).
Observation, Abidjan, September 2010; at a checkpoint, on a Saturday evening, the researcher's taxi was stopped on the bridge that connects the neighbourhoods of Deux Plateau and Plateau and was encouraged (by armed police) to pay 30,000 CFA (about £30) or risk spending some time at a local police station.
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (MIDH).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (LIDHO).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (Club UA).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (APDH).
http://www.fidh.org/Cote-d-Ivoire-In-view-of-the-intensification-of, accessed November 2011.
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (Club UA).
Ibid.
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (Club UA).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (MIDH 2010).
Former leader of FESCI, interviewed by Human Rights Watch, October 2007 (HRW 2008: 1).
Okechukwu Ibeanu.
Quoted in Motto v. Trafigura ( 2011) EWHC 90201 (Costs) para. 13.
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (UVDTAB).
Trafigura has since moved its operations to Singapore, presumably to take advantage of the economically attractive tax regime.
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (CNVDT).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (FAVIDET).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (FENAVIDET).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (UVDTAB).
Observation, Abidjan, September 2010 (UVDTAB).
Ibid.
Ibid.
UVDTAB, “Capacite Juridique”, undated (copy with first author).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (UVDTAB).
Observation, Abidjan, September 2010 (FENAVIDET).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (FENAVIDET).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (FENAVIDET).
Ibid.
Ibid.
http://www.fenavidet-ci.com.
http://www.fenavidet-ci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&;id=68:declaration&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=76.
http://www.fenavidet-ci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&;id=61%3Acommunique-pour-les-victimes-enrolees-au-baron-de-yopougon-au-banco2-au-terminus-42-yopougon-andokoi-yopougon-koweit-abobo-doumeyopougon-niangonmaroc-carrefour-anadoryopungon-wassakara&catid=3%3Anewsflash&Itemid=55.
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (CNVDT).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (FENAVIDET).
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Email correspondence with international press correspondent, November 2011.
From a RTI TV2 report, video (in French) available here: http://www.fenavidet-ci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=80, accessed November 2011.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/23/us-ivorycoast-minister-resignation-idUS-BRE84M00P20120523 (reporting by Ange Aboa, writing by Richard Valdmanis).
Observation, Abidjan, September 2010.
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (Club UA).
Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (MIDH).

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] The reported number of deaths ranges from between 16 and 21.

[2] Emails available at http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/09/16/Final_emails.pdf (accessed January 2013).

[3] http://www.rechtspraak.nl/Organisatie/Gerechtshoven/Amsterdam/Nieuws/Pages/Fineimposedon-Trafigura.aspx.

[4] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (APDH).

[5] Rechtspraak, op. cit. n. 1.

[6] The company claimed the settlement of the English case as a “vindication” of its position that the wastes caused no more than “mild flu-like symptoms”.

[7] The Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of the Environment and Forestry (including CIAPOL), Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Abidjan Port Authority, Governor of the District of Abidjan and the parastatals Société Nationale d'Operations Pétrolières de la Côte d'Ivoire (PETROCI) and Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR).

[8] Decree 2006–169/MT/DGAMP/DTMFL of 12 July 2006 (National Commission of Inquiry, 2006: 18, 20 and 58).

[9] Ibid.

[10] Under Article 26 of Decree no. 98–43 ( 1998).

[11] In breach of Article 2 of Law 92–469 ( 1992).

[12] As per Article 4 of Decree no. 97–615 ( 1997).

[13] As per Article 8 of Decree no. 97–615 ( 1997).

[14] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (APDH).

[15] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (MIDH).

[16] Observation, Abidjan, September 2010; at a checkpoint, on a Saturday evening, the researcher's taxi was stopped on the bridge that connects the neighbourhoods of Deux Plateau and Plateau and was encouraged (by armed police) to pay 30,000 CFA (about £30) or risk spending some time at a local police station.

[17] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (MIDH).

[18] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (LIDHO).

[19] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (Club UA).

[20] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (APDH).

[21] http://www.fidh.org/Cote-d-Ivoire-In-view-of-the-intensification-of, accessed November 2011.

[22] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (Club UA).

[23] Ibid.

[24] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (Club UA).

[25] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (MIDH 2010).

[26] Former leader of FESCI, interviewed by Human Rights Watch, October 2007 (HRW 2008: 1).

[27] Okechukwu Ibeanu.

[28] Quoted in Motto v. Trafigura ( 2011) EWHC 90201 (Costs) para. 13.

[29] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (UVDTAB).

[30] Trafigura has since moved its operations to Singapore, presumably to take advantage of the economically attractive tax regime.

[31] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (CNVDT).

[32] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (FAVIDET).

[33] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (FENAVIDET).

[34] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (UVDTAB).

[35] Observation, Abidjan, September 2010 (UVDTAB).

[36] Ibid.

[37] Ibid.

[38] UVDTAB, “Capacite Juridique”, undated (copy with first author).

[39] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (UVDTAB).

[40] Observation, Abidjan, September 2010 (FENAVIDET).

[41] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (FENAVIDET).

[42] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (FENAVIDET).

[43] Ibid.

[44] Ibid.

[45] http://www.fenavidet-ci.com.

[46] http://www.fenavidet-ci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&;id=68:declaration&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=76.

[47] http://www.fenavidet-ci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&;id=61%3Acommunique-pour-les-victimes-enrolees-au-baron-de-yopougon-au-banco2-au-terminus-42-yopougon-andokoi-yopougon-koweit-abobo-doumeyopougon-niangonmaroc-carrefour-anadoryopungon-wassakara&catid=3%3Anewsflash&Itemid=55.

[48] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (CNVDT).

[49] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (FENAVIDET).

[50] Ibid.

[51] Ibid.

[52] Ibid.

[53] Email correspondence with international press correspondent, November 2011.

[54] From a RTI TV2 report, video (in French) available here: http://www.fenavidet-ci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=80, accessed November 2011.

[55] http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/23/us-ivorycoast-minister-resignation-idUS-BRE84M00P20120523 (reporting by Ange Aboa, writing by Richard Valdmanis).

[56] Observation, Abidjan, September 2010.

[57] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (Club UA).

[58] Interview, Abidjan, September 2010 (MIDH).

State Crime Journal

Civil Society and State-Corporate Crime: A Case Study of Ivory Coast

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