All Things Considered
The president of the Ivory Coast--or the Cote d'Ivoire, as it's formally known--fled his country today in a plane offered by France. The departure of President Henri Konan Bedie follows a surprise coup Friday by a former army chief of staff. The Cote d'Ivoire has long been known as one of the most stable nations in Africa--independent since 1960. The overthrow of the government last week was bloodless, if unexpected. Chris Fomunyoh is director of Africa programs at the National Democratic Institute here in Washington.