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Charles Bleh Godet, one of the pillars of the regime of former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo, returned to his country on Saturday after the International Criminal Court in The Hague acquitted him of charges brought against him in relation to the post-electoral crisis in 2010 -2011 in the Ivory Coast. While still threatening a local sentence of 20 years in prison against the backdrop of the same charges.
The politician Charles Blé Godet has returned to his country Ivory Coast Saturday, after the international tribunal acquitted him. Godet is one of the pillars of former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo’s regime.
Gode landed at Abidjan airport on a commercial flight from Accra, near Ghana, where he was greeted by dozens of people, including former first lady Simone Gbagbo, before hurrying to get into a car and leave the airport.
His supporters were waiting for him on Saturday afternoon in the popular Yopougon neighborhood of the capital, Abidjan, to give a “concert”, which according to close associates would not have been a “political meeting”.
For his part, the French press agency correspondent indicated a large security presence at the entrance to the arrivals hall, as well as restricting entry to the airport.
Most of the reporters were removed from the scene by police and a planned press conference was cancelled. Those close to Godeh have asked his supporters not to go to the airport.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague, together with former President Laurent Gbagbo, acquitted Charles Blé Godet in March 2021 of charges brought against him in connection with the 2010-2011 post-election crisis.
At the time, Gbagbo’s interrogation of Hassan Ouattara’s victory for the presidency sparked a crisis that left 3,000 dead and led to the arrest of Laurent Gbagbo in April 2011.
Blé Godet was arrested in 2013 in Ghana, then transferred to The Hague the following year after months of house arrest in Abidjan.
Almost a year after his acquittal, Godet obtained a passport from the Ivory Coast authorities last May, which gave him the green light to return.
Charles Godet, 50, is the last big figure close to Gbagbo to return to the country, a year and a half after the former president’s return.
Thus, Charles Blé Godet founded his party, the African Congress for Justice and Equality among Peoples, but has not yet indicated the political role he wants to play in the future.
“Don’t rush,” he told Radio France International this week, “I’m going back to the Ivory Coast. I have a political party that will meet and whatever is decided will be implemented.”
And for information, the Ivorian politician is still threatening a local sentence of 20 years in prison against the background of the post-election crisis. in what happened Former President Laurent Gbagbo on a presidential pardon last August after being convicted in the same case.
France 24/AFP
