Ivory Coast: cordial meeting between Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara welcomed his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo to the presidential palace in Abidjan on July 27, 2021, during their first meeting since the post-election crisis of 2010-11.

AFP - ISSOUF SANOGO

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

The meeting is qualified as historic.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara and his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo met for the first time since the post-election crisis of 2010–2011.

The meeting took place at the presidential palace in Abijan and lasted for an hour.  

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With our correspondent in Abidjan

,

Sidy Yansané

The meeting has just ended.

After an hour of interview, Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara left the living room of the small palace of the presidency.

They were preceded by a few executives from their respective parties. 

Reunion between Laurent #Gbagbo and Alassane #Ouattara, a month and a half after the return with great fanfare of Gbagbo in Côte ďIvoire, ten years after the terrible post-electoral crisis responsible for more than 3,000 deaths.

# ci225 pic.twitter.com/fDRA58BjZG

- Sidy Yansane (@SidyYansane) July 27, 2021

The two presidents each made a statement to the press in a very friendly, very fraternal atmosphere.

They took turns speaking very briefly.

First Laurent Gbagbo clarified that during the interview with President Alassane Ouattara having addressed the subject of political prisoners detained since the murderous post-electoral crisis of 2010-2011, which has been at the root of the tearing of the two camps since now ten years.

Laurent Gbagbo calls for this release and obviously he leaves President Alassane Ouattara as sole judge to make a decision.

Other meetings to come

President Alassane Ouattara, who first began by thanking Laurent Gbagbo, also offered his condolences to Laurent Gbagbo for the death of his mother, who died while he was detained at the ICC. This reminded Mr. Ouattara that his own mother had died while in exile in France, during the post-election crisis in 2010-2011, and that Laurent Gbagbo had facilitated his return.

Alassane Ouattara also welcomed this first meeting: " 

It was important to restore confidence,

 " he said.

He assured that other meetings with his predecessor are to come after the month of August according to the president.

Meetings that will be extended to other figures of the Ivorian political scene.

One thinks of course of Henri Konan Bédié, president of the PDCI, who switched to the opposition three years ago, before recently joining forces with Laurent Gbagbo's FPI.

Both Mr. Ouattara and Mr. Gbagbo insisted on their willingness to move forward.

And before, it is the march towards a true national reconciliation.

► See also: Ivory Coast: Alassane Ouattara calls for the continuation of the national reconciliation process

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  • Ivory Coast

  • Alassane Ouattara

  • Laurent Gbagbo