Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - "In Abidjan so far there have not been demonstrations in favor of Gbagbo and the situation is calm, but the opposition newspapers, close to the deposed President, have strongly criticized the government's decision to hand him over to the ICC in the Hague" say to Fides sources of the Church from Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire.
The former President of Côte d'Ivoire, Laurent Gbabo was handed over yesterday by the local authorities to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Gbagbo was arrested in April at the end of the civil war that had seen him opposite to the current Head of State, Alassane Ouattara. Gbagbo has been accused of the death of 3,000 people killed between late 2010 and early 2011 in the violence resulted from his defeat in the last presidential elections, which confirmed the victory of Ouattara, violence escalated into a civil war with the involvement, alongside the militias close to Ouattara, of the UN military and the French.
"In Notre Voix, Gbagbo's party newspaper, says that now reconciliation is over, saying that President Ouattara, on handing over Gbagbo to the Hague, has removed all possibility of national reconciliation", according to the sources of Fides. "Gbagbo's party had already announced plans to boycott the legislative elections of 11 December. But some members of the party had declared that they would present themselves as independent candidates. At least 3 of these have announced to Notre Voix that they have withdrawn their candidacy in protest at Gbagbo's transfer to the ICC. "Gbagbo was imprisoned at the detention center of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, The Netherlands. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 30/11/2011)
