By Emanuele del Rosso
For the first time in ten years, Ivory Coast organised presidential elections on 31 October 2010. The second round was a tight race between opposition leader Alassane Ouattara and the incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo. Ouattara was first declared winner by the Independent Electoral Commission, but the Constitutional Council soon proclaimed Gbagbo president.
The international community considered Ouattara the winner. The UN recognised his victory. Both candidates were sworn in on the same day. Soon, violence broke out. More than 3,000 people were reportedly killed in clashes opposing Ouattara and Gbagbo supporters. On 11 April 2011, Laurent Gbagbo and his wife were captured.
The referral
In June 2011, ICC judges authorised the Office of the Prosecutor to start an investigation into crimes allegedly committed since 28 November 2010.
Warrants of arrest were sealed for:
- Laurent Gbagbo, the former president of Ivory Coast, accused of four counts of crimes against humanity: murder, rape, other inhumane acts, attempted murder and persecution.
- Simone Gbagbo, Laurent Gbagbo’s wife, allegedly responsible as indirect co-perpetrator for four counts of crimes against humanity: murder, rape and other sexual violence, persecution and other inhumane acts.
- Charles Blé Goudé, politician, youth leader, former minister, allegedly responsible as indirect co-perpetrator for four counts of crimes against humanity: murder, rape, other inhumane acts, attempted murder and persecution.
Laurent Gbagbo and Blé Goudé are being detained by the Court. The trial against Gbagbo and Blé Goudé started on 28 January 2016.
Simone Gbabgo was sentenced to 20 years by an Ivorian court for crimes against the security of the state. She is still wanted by the ICC.
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