Sweating It Out in Abidjan

Despite setbacks, the Ivory Coast remains a rare success story

For residents of Abidjan, the Ivory Coast's modern capital, the crisis seemed to evolve with the inevitability of a malevolent natural force. Two months ago, the electricity in shops and office buildings began to flicker and die for an hour or so at lunchtime. Gradually, larger areas of the city went dark; air conditioners, refrigerators and TV sets winked off. Now the entire city, as well as outlying coastal areas, is afflicted by crippling power outages.

The blackouts have spurred stinging broadsides from the press...

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