The First Ivorian Civil War was a conflict in the Ivory Coast (also known as Côte d'Ivoire) that began on September 19, 2002. Although most of the fighting ended by late 2004, the country remained split in two, with a rebel-held north and a government-held south. Hostility increased and raids on foreign troops and civilians rose. , the region was tense, and many said the UN and the French military failed to calm the civil war. Yet notably, the Côte d'Ivoire national football team was credited with helping to secure a temporary truce when it qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and brought warring parties together. The United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire began after the civil war calmed, but peacekeepers have faced a complicated situation and are outnumbered by civilians and rebels.