In Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara grants presidential pardon to his predecessor Laurent Bagbou

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara announced on Saturday August 6 that he had pardoned his predecessor and former rival, Laurent Gbagbo, who was sentenced to twenty years in prison in his country following the 2010 post-election crisis. “In order to strengthen social cohesion, I have signed the decree granting presidential pardon to Mr. Laurent Bagbo”Mr. Ouattara said in a speech at the 62 ceremony^e Anniversary of Côte d’Ivoire Independence.

The Head of State announced that he had asked “His accounts should be frozen and his life annuity should be paid”. He further announced that he had signed the order to provide “Conditional Release” For two former members of the military and security apparatus of Laurent Gbagbo’s regime, who were condemned for their role in the 2010-2011 crisis.

They are the former Chief of the Navy, Rear Admiral Wakba Fausignaux, and Commander Jean-Noël Abehi, the former head of the Gendarmerie’s Armored Corps at Agban Camp in Abidjan.

Back to politics

Laurent Gbagbo, 77, was definitively acquitted of crimes against humanity in March 2021 by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in late 2011, where he returned to his country in June 2021.

Not bothered since his return, he was sentenced to twenty years in Cote d’Ivoire. “robbery” Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) during the 2010-2011 crisis.

Mr. Alassane Ouattara’s victory in the presidential election at the end of 2010 led to violence that killed around 3,000 people until the arrest of Laurent Gbagbo in Abidjan in April 2011. Gbagbo’s refusal led to a crisis.

In October 2021, Laurent Gbagbo launched the African People’s Party-Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI), a new left-wing pan-African political formation, saying he wanted to continue politics until his death.