Charles Blé Goudé clarifies his position on the Ivorian political scene

Audio 01:29

Charles Blé Goudé speaks during a press conference at the Maison de la presse in Abidjan on January 11, 2023. AFP - SIA KAMBOU

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2 mins

The leader of Cojep, Charles Blé Goudé, who returned to Côte d'Ivoire on November 26, 2022, after being acquitted by the International Criminal Court, gave his first press briefing on Wednesday morning January 11.

He says he wants to "

freely participate in the political life

" of his country.

And in fact, he places himself as an “

observer

” and intends above all to relaunch his political party.

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With our correspondent in Abidjan,

Bineta Diagne

Charles Blé Goudé first observes a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire.

Then for more than two hours, he clarified his position on the Ivorian political scene: after having visited Pascal Affi N'Guessan of the FPI and Simone Gbagbo, the former first lady, Charles Blé Goudé affirmed that he was not forming any alliance to the moment. 

“

I have no affinity with any political party at the moment.

I know political figures for whom I have a lot of respect and the Ivorian political landscape has been recomposed a lot, so I am a big-eyed foreigner at the moment.

» 

►

To read also Ivory Coast: return of Charles Blé Goudé, after ten years of absence

Charles Blé Goudé wants to focus on reviving his political party, the Pan-African Congress for Justice and Equality of Peoples (Cojep).

No alliance in perspective either, with the RHDP, “

his adversary

”, he underlines.

Laurent Gbagbo's former Minister of Youth spoke at length about the state of his relations with his mentor: there is no quarrel between us, he assures us. 

“

I have no conflict with President Gbagbo.

In The Hague where I was, I was a son, I served my father, I never did anything to offend the present Gbagbo and I think that since he came he has never nothing done or said to offend me.

The only disagreement?

Perhaps, I am not a member of the PDA-CI, but in any case, I made my request for an audience to see my father and I am waiting for him to receive me.

» 

Charles Blé Goudé insisted on his ambition to lead Côte d'Ivoire "

one day

", in his words.

But his sentence by the Ivorian justice to 20 years in prison for the electoral violence of 2010 prevents him from being a candidate: "

I walk slowly

" he says.

He pleads for his conviction to be canceled, to participate in the electoral contests to come. 

►

To read also: Ivory Coast: Charles Blé Goudé met the Minister of National Reconciliation

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  • Ivory Coast

  • Politics Ivory Coast

  • Charles Blé Goude