Ivory Coast
Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo plans to return home on June 17 following his acquittal on charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC), a party official said Monday.
The ICC confirmed in March that Gbagbo and his sidekick Charles Ble Goude were in the clear over the devastating post-electoral violence that rocked the West African nation in 2010 and 2011.
Despite spending years behind bars in the Dutch city and waiting in Brussels for the decision of a 2019 appeal, the former President retains considerable support at home.
Gbagbo's travel expenses will be covered by Ouattara's administration, and steps will be made to guarantee that he obtains the perks and allowances afforded to past presidents, according to Alassane Ouattara at a cabinet meeting.
Gbagbo's homecoming might be hampered further by a pending 20-year sentence handed down in absentia by an Ivorian court in November 2019 for misappropriating funds from the regional central bank.
01:53
Cocoa producers demand promised payment of bonuses amid rising prices
01:58
Youth programme plans to send 11 million footballs to schools
Go to video
Ivory Coast: Authorities to pull peacekeepers out of Mali by August 2023
01:33
Ivory Coast cocoa farmers fear unpredictable climate to lower crop yields
02:05
Ivorian researcher awarded for her research to protect yams
01:45
Maracana, a different sort of football from Ivory Coast