Laurent Gbagbo launches new political party in Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo launched a caller governmental enactment Saturday, formally breaking ties with those who ran his erstwhile enactment portion helium spent years facing warfare crimes charges astatine the International Criminal Court.

Gbagbo, 76, who returned location successful June aft his acquittal was upheld, announced a fewer months aboriginal that helium would beryllium mounting up a caller enactment successful bid to debar ineligible battles with his erstwhile ally, Pascal Affi N’Guessan.

Gbagbo was extradited to The Hague successful 2011 and his Ivorian Popular Front enactment splintered 3 years aboriginal — with 1 faction led by N’Guessan, portion erstwhile archetypal woman Simone Gbagbo played a salient relation successful the other.

Organizers accidental the projected sanction of Gbagbo’s caller enactment is the African People’s Party — Ivory Coast, shortened to its French acronym, PPA-CI.

On Saturday, Gbagbo greeted a assemblage of much than 1,600 delegates successful Abidjan, galore holding tiny flags bearing his image. The ex-president is expected to code his supporters connected Sunday, organizers said.

The instauration of Gbagbo’s governmental caller enactment comes amid lingering questions astir his aboriginal governmental aspirations. He served arsenic president from 2000 until his apprehension successful 2011 aft helium refused to concede decision to Alassane Ouattara. The post-election struggle near much than 3,000 radical dormant and brought the state backmost to the brink of civilian war.

Ouattara yet prevailed and has been the president of Ivory Coast ever since. Ouattara won a arguable 3rd word precocious past twelvemonth aft the absorption claimed galore of its candidates were disqualified, including Gbagbo.

On Saturday, the enforcement manager of the ruling party, Adama Bictogo, was among those successful attendance astatine the enactment congress.

“For us, coming to witnesser the commencement of a caller enactment led by President Laurent Gbagbo reinforces the existing antiauthoritarian vitality and it volition assistance with the advancement of democracy,” helium said.

Notably absent, though, was the erstwhile archetypal lady, Simone Gbagbo, who had traveled to Congo. Charles Ble Goude, Gbagbo’s erstwhile younker person who besides was acquitted astatine the ICC, besides did not attend.

Laurent Gbagbo spent 8 years awaiting proceedings connected the warfare crimes charges. A justice acquitted him successful 2019, saying prosecutors failed to beryllium their case. The verdict was appealed but upheld successful precocious March, clearing the mode for Gbagbo to permission Belgium, wherever helium had spent the past 2 years.

While immoderate had feared his instrumentality could acceptable disconnected caller unrest, Gbagbo was received by Ouattara himself and has mostly maintained a debased profile. Some of Gbagbo’s opponents, though, support helium should person been jailed successful Ivory Coast upon his instrumentality and not fixed a statesman’s welcome.

Associated Press writer Krista Larson successful Dakar, Senegal contributed.