Laurent Gbagbo, the ex-president of Ivory Coast returns home, 10 years after he was taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his refusal to concede defeat in a presidential election that left more than 3,000 people dead.
Gbagbo was extradited to the International Criminal Court at The Hague in 2011 where he spent eight years awaiting trial on war crimes charges.
Mr Gbagbo has been living in the Belgian capital Brussels since his release from detention three years ago.
He was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity after he refused to accept defeat in a 2010 election which triggered a civil war that left 3,000 people dead.
Though he denied all the allegations, In March, the ICC appeals court upheld a 2019 acquittal, saying the prosecution had failed to prove its case against Mr Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé, an ally and former youth leader who was accused of leading a militia backing him.
The 76-year-old arrived in Abidjan, on Thursday from the Belgian capital, with crowds of supporters allowed into the airport cheering as the Brussels Airlines flight landed. Thousands also took to the streets of Abidjan, where there was heavy security presence, to celebrate his return.
Gbagbo’s supporters began arriving near the airport at 6 a.m., long before the ex-president had even boarded his flight in Brussels. Tensions between the jubilant crowds and security forces were high, with tear gas being used to disperse people coming to greet Gbagbo.
The ex-president did not comment to journalists before getting into a vehicle that was soon encircled by crowds. Officials from his political party had said he planned to take a tour of Abidjan to visit supporters in his strongholds, but it was not immediately clear how his flight’s delayed arrival might affect those plans.
His successor and rival President Alassane Ouattara invited him back.
He was the first former head of state to go on trial at the ICC but was acquitted of all charges.
It remains unclear what will become of other pending criminal charges against the ex-president.
Gbagbo and three of his former ministers were sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges they broke into the Abidjan branch of the Central Bank of West African States to get cash amid the post-election crisis in January 2011.
It’s unlikely that Ivorian authorities will jail the ex-president, says Ousmane Zina, a political scientist at the University of Bouake. However, Ouattara is likely to attach conditions to Gbagbo’s return to avoid reigniting tensions of the past, he added.
“Before granting a pardon or amnesty, he will want to obtain a guarantee that the country will remain peaceful,” Zina said.
Africanews
