THE LEBANESE COMMUNITIES OF COTE D'IVOIRE

Abstract

The Lebanese diaspora in Côte d'Ivoire is divided into two distinct communities: the established families, or durables, which have been in the country for two or three generations, and the relative newcomers, or nouveaux, who have arrived in the country in the last two decades and have little or no connection to the durables. Because of these divisions, and because of their status as a visible minority, the Lebanese have been politically and socially marginalized. They remain vulnerable to political pressure and manipulation, and find themselves unable—and unwilling— to assimilate to Ivoirian society. This study provides extensive factual information about this vital minority living and working in an import ant West African country. More significantly, it provides insights into the ability of African political leaders to manipulate and control an entrepreneurial group of some consequence. Finally, it illustrates some of the difficulties of assimilation in a modern African social context, pointing out, in particular, that assimilation is a reciprocal process.

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