Spontaneous Order in the Ivory Coast

Accidental freedom and spontaneous order in the Ivory Coast.  This is probably the freest place in Africa, and perhaps the world.  Some lessons here in prosperity caused by the absence of government. Unfortunately they seem intent on uniting with the South, and destroying their freedom.


"Here no-one can say to you: 'No, that's pirated' or 'You can't sell that here,'" he tells me when I ask if he ever has any trouble from the authorities.
"If we were in the south of the country, you could complain that no customs tax has been paid for example, but when you're in the New Forces-zone everything can come in and be sold," he says. 

Soroland may not be a breakaway zone, but for seven years the inhabitants of this zone have got used to living without government taxes, customs charges and even water and electricity bills.


"Things are a lot cheaper than in the south - we see that people from the south often come here to stock up, above all the military who come for all their electronics - mobile phones, DVDs, televisions, everything," he says.
...
Gradually with contributions from parents, the ad-hoc schools helped save a generation of children, and in some years the rebel zone got better results in national exams than the government zone.
Other volunteers helped cover for the absence of the state in other ways: setting up an ad-hoc postal service; their own television stations and some basic policing.
The New Forces do collect taxes in some areas - like from cocoa and cotton producers but most areas of business are unregulated in the city.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8446994.stm