Much of the international media response to the March 13 terrorist attacks in Grand-Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire, highlighted the fact that the group that took responsibility for the attack, al-Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), had also been behind similar attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso. The response within the country, however, aside from the necessary security and law enforcement actions, was one of solidarity with the victims, who were both Ivorians and foreigners.
Foreign media—in French and in English—that pushed a narrative of “religious war” did so with no knowledge of the cultural or political context of Cote d’Ivoire, which, despite a decade of conflict, has seen little hostility based on religion. Two recent articles that did provide context for the attacks and the recent politics of the country noted this fact, that the impetus for the terrorism was external religious extremism, something that is not widespread within the country.
In fact, many Ivorians responded with a characteristic resilience developed after so many years of conflict – by making a music video filmed on the same beach where the attack took place.
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