W. Africa feels Ivory Coast woes

Abdullahi sits in one of Abidjan's sprawling markets, idly fanning flies from a piece of warm, dirty beef. Normally, Abdullahi, who would only give his first name, does a brisk business. But for the past six weeks, since the attempted overthrow of Ivory Coast's government, meat prices have shot up and nobody's buying.

"There are no clients," he says, tapping his machete on the chopping block. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

Abdullahi is feeling the ripple effect of the standoff between the government and rebel forces. Rebels hold all of the north, and regional trade, such as the import of beef from Burkina Faso, has ground to a halt. Now, as prices shoot up and products become scarce in many parts, observers worry that economies throughout the region could be plunged into chaos.

"The tremors from the conflict have already shaken the fragile economies of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and of other countries further afield," says Ahmed Rajab, the editor of Africa Analysis in London. "These countries are petrified by the prospect of their citizens resident in Ivory Coast, numbering some 5 million, returning home.... This would mean the end of the millions of dollars in remittances, the rapid decline of the already weak economy, humanitarian crisis, and possible political upheavals."

Ivory Coast has long been the economic anchor in the region, providing jobs for locals and migrants alike, and fueling economic growth both here and in neighboring countries. Ivory Coast is the world's largest cocoa producer, helping make its economy the biggest in the subregion with a GDP of $12 billion – twice as big as neighboring Ghana and four times bigger than Mali and Burkina Faso.

Hopes were high for the region earlier this year. The Central Bank of West Africa States predicted in June that the GDP of the region would grow 4.5 percent. Ivory Coast's cocoa crop was expected to be bountiful, and there was optimism for more foreign investment.

But all this became threatened following an attempted coup on Sept. 19. Demobilized and disgruntled soldiers were first believed to be behind the uprising. But now a political party, the Patriotic Movement of the Ivory Coast (MPCI), has emerged with several demands, including the resignation of President Laurent Gbagbo, a six-month transitional government, and new elections. Negotiators from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting in Lomé, Togo, this week to try to reconcile the two sides.

Meanwhile, regional economies are feeling the pinch. Louis Speet Amedé, the economy editor at Fraternité Matin, a daily newspaper here, says the gravity of the situation increases daily.

"I'm not sure the other countries understand the urgency of the economic situation," he says.

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