Alassane Grants Presidential Pardon to Gbagbo
Caroline Ameh.
President Alassane Outtara, Ivorian strongman, has granted presidential pardon to his predecessor in office, former President Laurent Gbagbo. The President made this known recently in a televised speech.
According to Outtara, “In order to further strengthen social cohesion, I have signed a decree granting a presidential pardon to Laurent Gbagbo.”
He equally asked for Gbagbo’s accounts to be unfrozen and payment of the arrears of his presidential lifetime annuity be granted him.
Similarly, he also ordered the release of Gbagbo associates Vagba Faussignaux and Jean-Noel Abehi, a former Navy Chief and a former commander of a gendarmerie unit who had been convicted for their role in post-election unrest.
Recall that, in 2019, Gbagbo was handed a 20-year prison sentence for the robbery of funds from the Abidjan Central Bank during the post-election period. He also refused to concede defeat following the 2011 election that led to a civil war between his forces and supporters of Ouattara. The war killed around 3,000 persons.
Ouattara stood for a third term in the 2020 election, which Gbagbo and Bedie said was unconstitutional. Dozens of people were killed in clashes that broke out during the election.
The incumbent president has not yet said whether he plans to run again in 2025. Ouattara has said that he would like to step down, but suggested that he would need Gbagbo and Bedie to exit politics as well for him to do so.
