Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire, also known as Ivory Coast, is a West African country on the Atlantic coast of Africa.
HALO has run two separate programmes in Côte d'Ivoire. We began building armouries in 2011, and in 2016 we moved on to demining, clearing the area of 310 football pitches. We also destroyed thousands of weapons and pieces of ammunition, before we left in 2017.
We returned in 2023 with a focus on weapons management and training. Up to Oct 2025, we've destroyed 16,326 small arms and 18,497 pieces of ammunition, making communities safer for the Ivorian people. 118 local people have taken our training courses in secure management and storage of weapons.
Situation in Côte d'Ivoire
Between 2002 and 2011, Côte d'Ivoire suffered two civil wars and endured a decade as a divided nation. More than 4,000 people were estimated to have been killed, and up to a million displaced. The first war began with a failed coup and divided the country in two until 2007. The second was shorter but bloodier, coming after an election that led to the arrest of former President Laurent Gbagbo.
This tumultuous period led to weapons and ammunition being stored unsafely, creating risk for the people of Ivory Coast.
Since then, considerable progress has been made in securing and destroying obsolete weapons. Stockpiles of landmines, ammunition and aircraft bombs have been removed, but theft and the cross-border weapons trade is still a concern.
Diverted arms also enable trafficking of migrants, narcotics and other illicit goods, across West Africa. Securing weapons is vital to prevent trafficking of all kinds.
HALO's work and impact in Côte d'Ivoire
From 2011 to 2016, HALO reformed or constructed 188 armouries and ammunition stores in Côte d'Ivoire. These stores are managed by the police, military, customs agency and gendarmerie. We destroyed 12,000 weapons and 184 metric tons of ammunition, from grenades to aircraft bombs and missiles.
This project helped to develop a responsible and professional security force, accountable for arms and ammunition. This has helped to create democracy in Côte d'Ivoire, despite increasing conflict and political instability across West Africa.
Our work in Côte d'Ivoire prevents dangerous weapons from being seized by terror groups, including groups linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda. This is crucial as these groups have a growing presence in the region, as they are pushing south from the Sahel.
HALO is also working with the State Department Counterterrorism Bureau on counter-IED training. This project will train Ivorian national police to disrupt and disarm IEDs used by terrorist groups along the border with Mali and Burkina Faso.
Other HALO programmes in West Africa
Our work in Côte d'Ivoire is funded by:
