<P> The conflict sparked a civil war . Many soldiers in the armed forces of Guinea - Bissau joined the side of the rebels . This was in part, due to the soldiers not being paid by the government . The rebels continued to fight from 1998 to 1999 . President Vieira was ousted on 7 May 1999 . By 10 May 1999, the war ended when President Vieira signed an unconditional surrender in a Portuguese embassy . </P> <P> Approximately 655 were killed as a result of the conflict . </P> <P> In the early 2000s, the Ivory Coast (also known as Côte d'Ivoire) experienced an economic rescission . The rescission began as a result of the previous economic boom crashing the economy as a whole . This led to the predominantly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south of the Ivory Coast becoming politically divided . </P> <P> The southern Ivory Coast was in control of the Ivorian government . The north however, was under the power of the rebel movement . The civil war between the two began officially on 19 September 2002 when rebels launched a series of attacks on the south . The city of Abidjan was primarily targeted . Northern rebels were successful in the attacks . As a result of the chaos, president Robert Guéï was killed in the rebellions . </P>

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