Laurent Gbagbo is expected in Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, June 17, 2021. Almost ten years after his extradition to The Hague, where he was acquitted of the charges against him in March, the former president is therefore preparing to step on the ground. An event that its followers are eagerly awaiting.
From our special correspondent in Abidjan,
On Wednesday morning, there is no special agitation around Félix Houphouët-Boigny airport in Abidjan. Taxis and families are waiting for travelers, the safe placement is no different than usual. Nothing allows us to imagine that in a little more than 24 hours, supporters of the former president will welcome in the pavilion of honor the one they have been waiting for for ten years now.
Among these impatiens is Francis. This lifelong activist is sitting on the terrace of a maquis in Yopougon, a municipality in Abidjan that is known to be a fortress for the FPI, the party of the former head of state, and has a smile on his face and says he is ready for tomorrow. “From 5 o’clock I am at the airport. I can not miss this. “And he adds that he was well equipped for the big day. “I have a Gbagbo t-shirt, Gbagbo pants, I even have a Gbagbo hat.”
“We are waiting for the son of the country”
One hundred meters from the bush, Romaric’s small business really runs at full speed. This graphic designer mainly makes loincloths or personal clothing. In recent days, he has received a large order for t-shirts in the former president’s colors. In front of his booth are several models with Laurent Gbagbo for sale. In its warehouse, several dozen others are waiting for someone to come and pick them up. The goal for all activists is to have the right equipment for Thursday, June 17.
“Tomorrow will be a feast day, it is a messiah who arrives,” explains an activist. We must go and welcome it massively. We have been waiting for this day for a long time. We are waiting for the son of the country. Me, tomorrow at 5 o’clock I’m already ready to go to the airport. “By her side, Anderson expects” an unforgettable day. ” I’m really happy, we’m waiting for our President for reconciliation. So that our peace is truly at peace. “
Buses pick up supporters in Yopougon. With a slogan that was repeated over and over during preparatory meetings in recent days: “No anger, it is a day of joy, no provocation.” It’s a day of celebration, this youth leader of the YPougon FPI still insists, “we want peace.” The party wants to avoid exaggeration.
“The missing link in reconciliation”
An instruction that will be said and repeated to the activists who will go on the buses planned to take the audience to the various strategic places where the procession must pass. Lucien does not yet know where he will applaud the former president, but one thing is for sure, he can not wait any longer: “I am extremely happy, because the Ivorian people have been waiting for this day for a long time. It is the missing link in the reconciliation process. It is a model for the Ivorians and for the whole of Africa. We want him to take back his pilgrim’s staff and continue the policy. “
In response to the demands of his supporters waiting for him to return to politics, Laurent Gbagbo must go to his FPI party’s headquarters after arriving in Abidjan. And not just any place: the one located in the Attoban district and which, quite symbolically, had not been used in ten years. For several days, a team has been working to restore the building. The edge wall is freshly painted and inside the president’s office it is already in place. Steve is among those who have worked there for over a week. It is with pride that he shows us around and takes us to the lounges and meeting rooms where the furniture is still packed.
First expected words
The garden still lacks the chairs and tents that will house Thursday’s festivities. And it is from the desk that Laurent Gbagbo will give his first speech. But before we get there, it’s a race against time for Steve: “We have not stopped in a week. Tomorrow everything must be over. We’re not going to sleep tonight. ”
These first words from the former president are eagerly awaited. In addition to an interview with the TV5 Monde channel a few months ago, Laurent Gbagbo has been silent for the past ten years. A difficult period for Francis, who expects a lot from this return: “I will meet him, because if I do not see him I will die. Our thinking is Laurent Gbagbo’s thinking. When I sleep, it’s Laurent Gbagbo. My blood is Laurent Gbagbo. ”
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