Laurent Gbagbo returns to Côte d’Ivoire on the 17th

His followers have been waiting for his return home for several months. Definitely acquitted in March last year by the ICC, Laurent Gbagbo returned to Abidjan on June 17, FPI-GOR announced on Monday.

as reported from Abidjan, Pierre Pinto

In the village hall, which is decorated as the wedding days, 400 personalities from FPI, former ministers, exiles, gather near Laurent Gbagbo for the 76th anniversary of the great absence. Hours go by, speeches follow each other marked by famous artists who have come to celebrate the acquittal of the ICC. Then FPI-GOR Secretary-General Assoa Adou takes the floor and puts an end to the tension that has been going on for several months: former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo returns to his country on June 17 after a ten-year absence announces – he does. “President Laurent Gbagbo told me to tell the women of the FPI, all the women of Côte d’Ivoire, the whole Ivorian nation, the African peoples, the European Democrats, all those who supported us, that his arrival in Côte d’Ivoire is 17 June. 2021, ”he said, followed by roaring cheers.

Almost ten years after the transfer to The Hague, Laurent Gbagbo is therefore preparing to return in about two weeks to return to his homeland. Laurent Gbagbo was crowned by his final acquittal by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity, which was perceived by his supporters as a political victory for their masters over their political opponents in Côte d’Ivoire and abroad. Almost all of his followers, refugees since 2011, have returned to the Ivory Coast.

But the time is not for revenge, his relatives assure. Laurent Gbagbo returns to facilitate reconciliation as he would have been the missing link according to them. The FPI had already announced at the end of February an imminent return of Laurent Gbagbo before he changed his mind.

It remains to be seen what form this return will take. A controversy has erupted in recent days on this subject. FPI supporters want a triumphant return and popular reception. “Did you see the shine in this room?” That’s kind of what we want when Laurent Gbagbo arrives. that we allow Ivorians who love him, Ivorians who want to see him see him. We are convinced, in the discussion we have with the authorities, that the reception will be good. It is a son of Ivory Coast who returns. Humanly, we must allow those who are his followers and all Ivorians to organize his return and even celebrate it, ”explains Léon Emmanuel Monnet, chair of the Coordinating Committee for the Return Committee.

A project that the authorities and the ruling party, RHDP do not want, requires a more discreet return. For its part, the FPI claims that it has not yet discussed this issue with the authorities.

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