With less than ten months until the presidential election scheduled for late October, former head of state Laurent Gbagbo has been making frequent public statements to pressure the current president, Alassane Ouattara, into facilitating his reinstatement on the electoral lists, which would secure his eligibility. Relations between the two men have deteriorated in recent months to the point where they no longer speak to each other. In fact, they have not met in two and a half years.
Alassane Ouattara’s Messages
A meeting had been actively prepared behind the scenes as early as August 2024, but it never took place. Laurent Gbagbo had promised to reconnect by phone with his successor, but ultimately did not follow through. However, the link is not completely broken, as they continue to exchange messages through intermediaries, including politicians, religious leaders, businessmen, and diplomats.
According to our sources, the former president, who now publicly accuses Alassane Ouattara of trying to exclude him, consistently communicates to these intermediaries that peace in Côte d'Ivoire will depend on the current president. He had already expressed this same sentiment to the European Union (EU) ambassadors accredited in Côte d'Ivoire.
For now, Alassane Ouattara remains resolute. He has sent several messengers to Laurent Gbagbo, advising him to avoid creating a confrontational environment and to make it clear that the law will be enforced in the event of any attempt to disrupt public order. Unless there is a change in circumstances, the head of state does not plan to grant him amnesty, as he did for former First Lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo in August 2018. The latter had called for a general amnesty in May 2020.
A little over two years later, in August 2022, Ouattara granted Laurent Gbagbo a presidential pardon, a measure that, however, did not restore all of his civil and political rights. Since November 2019, the former president has been under a 20 year prison sentence handed down by the Ivorian judiciary in connection with the so-called "BCEAO heist" case, which occurred during the 2010-2011 post-election crisis.
Tensions with Tidjane Thiam
In the meantime, Laurent Gbagbo has decided to mobilize his troops from the African People's Party-Côte d'Ivoire (PPA-CI) for the presidential election, although it is still uncertain whether he will participate, and is seeking to form alliances. Tidjane Thiam, the president of the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI), the largest opposition party, which he will most likely represent as its candidate, has not yet joined Laurent Gbagbo in his fight for an open election for all candidates. Relations between the two men are tense. Intermediaries are working on arranging a meeting between the three party leaders.
