Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara will meet his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo at the presidential palace on Tuesday, July 27. Since the former head of state returned last month after his acquittal at the ICC, the two men have just exchanged a few words over the phone.
as reported from Abidjan, Sidy Yansane
Peace and reconciliation. The two words have never been spoken so much by the Ivorians who experienced a new episode of tension and violence during the presidential election in October last year. The Ivorians therefore hope a lot from this first meeting between Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo, probably marking an important step towards national reconciliation and conviction of the Ivorian political climate.
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With the return of Laurent Gbagbo, his meeting two weeks ago with his former enemy of the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI), Henri Konan Bédié, and his forthcoming meeting with President Alassane Ouattara, citizens believe more and more in appeasement. “It simply came to our notice then. If they meet today for friendship, forgiveness and brotherhood, it is for the happiness of the Ivorians. It’s not for war, it’s for agreement, said one man.
“For me, given everything that has happened in recent years, given the crisis, all this and then Laurent Gbagbo who returned to Côte d’Ivoire, for me it is not the same. It is new. This step will announce peace for our beautiful country, said a woman from her side.
But for thirty years the country has been hit by the shocks of political alliances being created and broken. Many Ivorians measure their enthusiasm: “Politics already plays with one thing: to divide to govern better. Yesterday they fought. Tomorrow they go hand in hand. What will happen? We do not know. It is up to us to become aware of the state of mind that exists. That they manage to agree, convey messages to their followers and that we do not fit into certain things “.
The hope for lasting peace is still strong, although many now prefer to judge the actions of their leaders rather than their words.
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