The post-election crisis in the former powerhouse of West Africa is a major blow to the economy. Already affected by a financial downturn since the end of the civil war in 2003, the growth of the Ivorian GDP, according to the IMF, collapsed drastically. As exporters of cocoa, the country's economic strength had been interrupted during the crisis. After the arrest of incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo on 11 April, the country hoped to find a positive growth from 2012. In this context , France has to remain the " partner of the Ivory Coast ".