Time for reconciliation. Finally, the moment expected by Ivorians since the arrival of former President Laurent Gbagbo in the country will be held on Tuesday 27 July. President Alassane Ouattara invites his former opponent to the presidential palace for a meeting. This is the first contact between the 2 after the presidential election of 2010 where they were all opponents in the 2nd round.

The two politicians had a telephone contact in early July after a long silence for almost 10 years, especially after the post-election crisis. Government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly said the meeting between President Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo at the presidential palace will take place next Tuesday. This should mark the first step in national reconciliation.

Reconciliation project

As a reminder, the former president returned to Ivory Coast on 17 June after being definitively released by the ICC. He has spent the last 10 years behind bars following his failure to accept defeat in the 2010 presidential election, which resulted in the death of 3,000 people.  He was then arrested in April 2011 before being prosecuted by the ICC (International Criminal Court) in The Hague for crimes against humanity during this period.

Is Laurent Gbagbo launching a reconciliation plan? Since his arrival in the country, he has sought to stabilise the political climate. Before this meeting with Alassane Ouattara, he already visited the former president, Henri Konan Bédié, on 10 July. Another former rival of his. According to his statement on that occasion, he really wants to reconcile. This is the wish of the current president Alassane Ouattara. He announced this on the occasion of the Eid al-Adha holiday on Tuesday. The hand of the president has always been extended to his opponents, reassures Amadou Coulibaly. As a result, he wants to ensure peace and the political climate in the country.  "That the steps that have been taken for social cohesion, for reconciliation can continue to strengthen. May Côte d'Ivoire continue to live in peace," he said.

Santie

Photo Credit : L-FRII

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