Laurent Gbagbo: the key dates of an eventful political and judicial career
Laurent Gbagbo, in Abidjan, October 29, 2010. ASSOCIATED PRESS - Rebecca Blackwell
Text by: François Mazet Follow
6 mins
Laurent Gbagbo returns to Abidjan this Thursday, June 17, after ten years of absence.
Definitively acquitted by the International Criminal Court on March 31, will he renew the thread of a life of political battles?
Back on the main dates of his career.
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February 9, 1982
: The student demonstrations bring the power of Félix Houphouët-Boigny to close the universities.
History teacher and trade unionist,
Laurent Gbagbo
is the leader of the protest.
He created with his wife Simone a clandestine movement which would become the Ivorian Popular Front.
September 13, 1988
: After three years of exile in France, he returns to Côte d'Ivoire.
In November, the FPI was formed, he was its secretary general.
October 28, 1990
: For the first time, Félix Houphouët-Boigny has an opponent in the presidential election.
Laurent Gbagbo obtains 18.3% of the votes.
The following month, he was elected deputy for Ouaragahio during the first multiparty legislative elections.
The FPI sends nine deputies to the assembly (out of 175).
February 18, 1992
: Following a demonstration, Laurent Gbagbo is arrested.
He was sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of 300,000 CFA francs, but was amnestied and released on July 31.
Alassane Ouattara
was then Prime Minister.
October 22, 1995
:
Henri Konan Bédié
wins a locked presidential election, boycotted by Laurent Gbagbo.
October 22, 2000
: Laurent Gbagbo is elected president with 59% of the vote, despite the attempt of the putschist general Robert Gueï, his unfortunate adversary, to proclaim himself the winner. Alassane Ouattara was again disqualified for "lack of ivoirity". [by virtue of an amendment to the Ivorian Constitution requiring that candidates for the presidency of the Republic be born of father and mother of Ivorian origin and have never taken advantage of another nationality] The FPI wins the legislative elections in December, boycotted by the RDR, despite the impossibility of organizing them in several regions of the North.
September 19, 2002
: After months of political tension and violence, a vast mutiny turns into a rebellion.
Robert Gueï is assassinated
.
On October 17 Laurent Gbagbo accepts to sign a ceasefire.
The country is now split in two between an area held by rebels in the North and an area under government control in the South.
January 24, 2003
: The Marcoussis agreement, validated by France, provides for the maintenance in power of Laurent Gbagbo and an open government.
The spokesman of the rebellion, Guillaume Soro announces that the key positions of Defense and the Interior go to his movement.
Anti-French demonstrations begin.
On October 21, RFI correspondent
Jean Hélène was assassinated.
March 25, 2004
: A banned opposition demonstration is repressed.
It kills 120 according to the UN.
September 27, 2005
:
Laurent Gbagbo declares that the presidential election cannot be held on October 30, for lack of disarmament of the rebellion, and that he will remain in his post after that date.
Despite the agreements of Pretoria I and II
,
the New Forces refuse to endorse a vote, according to them, "neither free nor transparent"
March 4, 2007
: After a month of negotiations, Laurent Gbagbo and Guillaume Soro sign a peace agreement in Ouagadougou.
Guillaume Soro becomes Prime Minister.
October 31, 2010
: Laurent Gbagbo comes first in the first round of the presidential election with 38% of the vote.
Alassane Ouattara is second with 32%.
He activates his alliance with Henri Konan Bédié, who came third with 25%.
December 2, 2010
: The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) announces, under conditions contested by supporters of Laurent Gbagbo, Alassane Ouattara winner with 54% of the second round organized on November 28.
The next day, the Constitutional Council, headed by relatives of the outgoing president, annuls the results in several regions of the North and gives victory to the latter with 51% of the vote.
Beginning of the post-electoral crisis.
The African Union, ECOWAS and Western countries recognize Alassane Ouattara as president of the country.
April 11, 2011
: after weeks of fighting, a final campaign of strikes led to the arrest of Laurent Gbagbo.
November 30, 2011
: Indicted by the International Criminal Court, Laurent Gbagbo is transferred to The Hague.
He appears for the first time on December 5.
June 12, 2014
: The charges are confirmed by the ICC, Laurent Gbagbo is put on trial.
The Blé Goudé case is joined to his.
October 29, 2015:
The ICC refuses to release Laurent Gbagbo in order to allow him to attend the funeral of his mother who died on October 15 in Côte d'Ivoire.
January 28, 2016
: Opening of the trial against Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé
January 18, 2018
: The Supreme Court of Abidjan sentences Laurent Gbagbo and three members of his last government - not recognized by the international community - to twenty years in prison and a fine of 329 billion CFA francs (around 500 million euros) , for the so-called
“breakage of the BCEAO” case
. The other three defendants benefited from the presidential pardon granted in August 2018 by Alassane Ouattara to more than 800 actors in the post-electoral crisis.
January 15, 2019:
The ICC Trial Chamber acquits Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé of charges of crimes against humanity.
The conditions of release oblige him to remain in Europe.
On February 5, he joined his second wife Nady Bamba in Brussels.
The prosecutor's office appealed on September 16.
March 31, 2021
:
ICC Appeals Chamber confirms acquittal,
travel restrictions revoked.
April 7, 2021
: Alassane Ouattara gives the green light for the return of his former rival.
May 31, 2021
: Assoa Adou, secretary general of the FPI branch who is loyal to him, announces
the date of June 17 for a return
.
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