▁between ▁various ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁became ▁stra ined , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁two ▁civil ▁wars ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁dec ades . ▁▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁military ▁coup ▁Similarly , ▁Bed i é ▁ex cluded ▁many ▁potential ▁oppon ents ▁from ▁the ▁army . ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁diss atisf ied ▁officers ▁st aged ▁a ▁military ▁coup , ▁putting ▁General ▁Robert ▁Gu é ï ▁in ▁power . ▁Bed i é ▁fled ▁into ▁ex ile ▁in ▁France . ▁The ▁new ▁leadership ▁reduced ▁crime ▁and ▁cor ruption , ▁and ▁the ▁gener als ▁pressed ▁for ▁a uster ity ▁and ▁campaign ed ▁in ▁the ▁streets ▁for ▁a ▁less ▁waste ful ▁society . ▁ ▁G bag bo ▁administration ▁A ▁president ial ▁election ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁in ▁which ▁Laurent ▁G bag bo ▁v ied ▁with ▁Gu é ï , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁peace ful . ▁The ▁lead - up ▁to ▁the ▁election ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁military ▁and ▁civil ▁un rest . ▁Following ▁a ▁public ▁u pr ising ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁around ▁ 1 8 0 ▁death s , ▁Gu é ï ▁was ▁swift ly ▁replaced ▁by ▁G bag bo . ▁A lass ane ▁O u att ara ▁was ▁dis qual ified ▁by ▁the ▁country ' s ▁Supreme ▁Court , ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁alleg ed ▁Bur kin ab é ▁national ity . ▁The ▁existing ▁and ▁later ▁reform ed ▁constitution ▁[ under ▁Gu é ï ] ▁did ▁not ▁allow ▁non cit iz ens ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁the ▁presiden