Ivory Coast: the prosecutor wants prosecutions against all those responsible for the violence of 2020
The prosecutor of the Republic of Abidjan Richard Adour, during a press conference in the Ivorian capital, December 26, 2019. AFP - SIA KAMBOU
Text by: Pierre Pinto Follow
2 min
In Côte d'Ivoire, the Special Unit to Investigate Violence Linked to the 2020 Presidential Election has issued its findings.
This unit made up of 40 police officers and gendarmes placed under the leadership of the Abidjan prosecutor investigated for 6 months the politico-ethnic violence which left 85 dead between August and November 2020. At the time the opposition rejected the candidacy of 'Alassane Ouattara for a third term then contested his re-election.
According to the prosecutor, more than 270 people are involved to varying degrees.
It is now up to the investigating judges to choose who to prosecute.
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Since 2020, 233 suspects have been arrested.
Most have been released and placed under judicial supervision, but 11 remain in preventive detention for their alleged involvement in the most serious crimes, such as the beheading of Toussaint N'guessan Koffi in Daoukro.
40 other people are also actively sought, adds prosecutor Richard Adou.
“
The manipulation of feelings of ethnicity, politics and religion, as well as impunity remains a major driver of
the escalation of violence
, including political one.
Youth have been instrumentalized as an executing arm by political leaders.
All those who directly or indirectly have allowed, incited, instrumentalised, armed or financed will answer for their acts.
"
Pascal Affi N'guessan, Simone Gbagbo, Maurice Kakou Guikahué, Assoa Adou, Toikeusse Mabri, Guillaume Soro among others… The report designates many opposition politicians as “
moral authors
”, that is to say sponsors or financiers .
Even the former head of state Henri Konan Bédié,
who called for civil disobedience
, can be prosecuted, said the prosecutor.
He is not protected by the 2005 law on the status of former presidents, assures prosecutor Richard Adou.
All those who sponsored, who incited, who financed this civil disobedience which led to tragedies, all these people are not exempt from prosecution.
It is true that there is a law, that of 2005 on former presidents of the Republic, former presidents of institutions, former ministers.
But article 54 of this law does say that all the offenses committed by these personalities during an election period escape the special procedure ...
Prosecutor Richard Adou explains the procedure concerning former presidents, who "are not exempt from prosecution"
Pierre Pinto
Prosecutor Richard Adou also assures that there is no link between the release of this report and the resumption of political dialogue:
“
It's a coincidence that this is happening right now.
The prosecutor is not a political actor, and this has no effect on political dialogue.
"
The ball is now in the court of the three appointed investigating judges, who are now responsible for whether or not to prosecute.
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Ivory Coast
Henri Konan Bédié
Alassane Ouattara
Justice