Laurent Gbagbo's first criminal court appearance (video)

Former president of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, appeared for the first time before a panel of three international criminal court judges on 5.12.2011 - a historic day for the court. It was his first official public appearance since he was ousted on 11 April 2011.

Gbagbo refused to step down after he was declared loser of the November 2010 presidential election. His refusal to accept defeat and step aside plunged Ivory Coast into months of armed conflict during which more than 3000 people were reported dead.

Video footage posted on the YouTube channel of the International Criminal Court showed a "subdued" Laurent Gbagbo dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and blue tie. The former leader appeared humble and made an emotional presentation of himself: his name, place and date of birth. He also recounted the circumstances surrounding his arrest by French forces on 11 April 2011, his detention in Ivory Coast and subsequent transfer to the The Hague.

He waived his right to have the charges read out to him, and admitted that he had been informed of his rights.



The wheels of justice have started to turn.

Laurent Gbagbo had a choice to either denounce violence and step down in the interest of peace or face justice for crimes committed as a result of his decision to cling to power. He apparently chose the latter.

Gbagbo is the first former head of state to appear at the International Criminal Court (ICC) since its inception in 2002. He won't be the last - so long as people in authority around the world continue to disregard human rights and the will of the people. Laurent Gbagbo's appearance before the ICC sends a resounding message to those in power that there is no impunity for crimes against humanity and other rights abuses committed against civilians.

Images of Laurent Gbagbo in the dock and Hosni Mubarak in cage are reminders that no one is above the law, especially in this age of international justice.

Mr. Gbagbo is accused of crimes against humanity committed in Ivory Coast. He has the right to be presumed innocent of all charges until proven guilty. His next court hearing is scheduled of 18 June 2012.

*Photo: The Guardian.

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Laurent Gbagbo in ICC custody at The Hague

Laurent Gbagbo, former president of Ivory Coast, was flown to The Hague on Tuesday, 29.11.2011 to stand trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), for alleged crimes against humanity committed during the bloody post-election violence that erupted in the Ivory Coast in November 2010.

An Ivorian plane believed to be carrying the former leader landed at 4am on 30.11.2011 in Rotterdam, second largest city in the Netherlands. [Source].

Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to step down after a disputed presidential election plunged Ivory Coast into a six-month armed conflict that reportedly killed 3000 people and displaced many more. Horrific crimes allegedly committed by Gbagbo's forces include, extrajudicial killings, gang rapes, abductions and enforced disappearances.

There were loud calls for Laurent Gbagbo to stand aside in the interest of peace and human rights, but he refused to comply. Even the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) urged Gbagbo to surrender power.

One month into the violence, the ICC warned all parties involved in the conflict that perpetrators of crimes under the jurisdiction of the court would be prosecuted.

In March 2011, president Obama urged Laurent Gbagbo in a video message to follow "the example of leaders who reject violence and abide by the will of the people."

Laurent Gbagbo ignored all these calls.

Then on Monday, 11 April 2011, the inevitable happened. Gbagbo was arrested by forces loyal to his rival, Alassane Ouattara, backed by French forces. He was humiliated and held under house arrest until he was transferred to The Hague.

He is now in the custody of the ICC, on charges of crimes against humanity.

In December 2010, I said power struggle endangers lives and perpetrators of crimes in Ivory Coast would eventually have their day in a national or international court. Hence, the decision to bring Laurent Gbagbo to justice is welcomed. However, he would have been tried in Ivory Coast. His transfer to The Hague reveals that the Ivorian justice system is flawed and unable to grant the former president a fair trial.

It is important to remember that not only Gbagbo is responsible for crimes during the violence. Both parties sides in the conflict allegedly committed crimes. Forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara, current president of Ivory Coast, also allegedly committed atrocious crimes, including killing across ethnic lines. The ICC should investigate these allegations and bring perpetrators to book. Selective justice would undermine national unity in Ivory Coast - a country that currently enjoys fragile stability. Accused individuals should be tried in national courts and should be flown abroad only when national courts are incapable of delivering justice for victims of atrocious crimes.

Gbagbo is the first head of state indicted by the ICC to arrive at The Hague to stand trial. [Source]. He has made history for the wrong reason.



The ouster of Gbagbo and Egypt's longtime despot, Hosni Mubarak, earlier this year sparked a debate with an unusual question: Laurent Gbagbo or Hosni Mubarak? Both men have unenviable records. Join the debate.

*Photo: Wikipedia.

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Atrocities by troops loyal to President Ouattara of Ivory Coast

It is no secret that on 11 April 2011, after a power struggle that lasted four months, Laurent Gbagbo, former President of Ivory Coast, was finally kicked out of office and arrested by troops loyal to his rival - President Allasane Ouattara. The president's troops reportedly committed atrocities against pro-Gbagbo civilians during the campaign to oust Gbagbo.

Since violence broke out following the disputed November 2010 presidential elections, hundreds of civilians lost their lives and thousands fled their homes. Troops loyal to the deposed President Laurent Gbagbo were particularly under the microscope and accused of committing crimes against humanity.

With all eyes on Laurent Gbagbo and his men, troops loyal to Allasane Outtara were given a blank check and committed widespread atrocities during the march to force Gbagbo to cede power. Now that Gbagbo is out of office and under house arrest, serious allegations of horrendous crimes and atrocities committed by troops loyal to President Ouattara have surfaced.

Human Rights Watch sent an email to it's supporters on Friday 14 April 2011 - shining light on crimes committed by Ouattara's forces. These crimes include systematic rape, summary executions, killings along ethnic lines, and burning of villages. According to Human Rights Watch, Ouattara's forces massacred more than 100 people in Bloléquin, including babies, women and those "too old or feeble to flee". The town of Duékoué and other western towns were also devastated by Ouattara's forces and hundreds of Gbagbo supporters were brutally killed. 

Crimes against civilians by armed militia men violate international humanitarian law and must not go unpunished. President Allasane Ouattara should investigate and prosecute those responsible for grave crimes committed during the power struggle. 

Investigating only pro-Gbagbo forces will send a wrong message and jeopardize reconciliation efforts in Ivory Coast.

Human Rights Watch interviewed many victims of violence and published a detailed news release on 9 April 2011 urging President Ouattara and his new government to investigate and prosecute perpetrators from both sides of the conflict.

On a side note: During the conflict in Ivory Coast, there was a poll on this blog and readers were asked whether the United Nations should intervene militarily to protect civilians in the west African country. Only 18 people participated in the poll - with 14 (77 percent) in favor of military intervention, 3 (16 percent) against and 1 (5 percent) unsure. I appreciate all those who participated in the poll.

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Swedish UN worker shot dead in Ivory Coast

This afternoon, I was saddened by news that a Swedish UN worker for the United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) was shot dead in Abidjan as troops loyal to the internationally recognized President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, clashed with forces loyal to the illegitimate President Laurent Gbagbo.

The Swedish woman, identified as Zahra Abidi, 34, was reportedly shot and killed by a stray bullet yesterday - Thursday 31 March 2011 in Abidjan, the commercial capital of Ivory Coast.

It is worth mentioning that there has been a recent spike in violence against UN peacekeepers in Ivory Coast. On 13 January 2011, pro-Gbagbo supporters attacked UN peacekeepers and burnt UN vehicles. On 28 March, a UN helicopter came under attack by pro-Ouattara forces.

The death of a UN worker as a result of the on-going power struggle in Ivory Coast resounds the need for all parties involved in the conflict to exercise restraint and stop killing civilians. Attacks against UN workers and civilians is a crime punishable under international law and perpetrators will be brought to book.

The noose is tightening on Laurent Gbagbo who refuses to cede power after losing the November 2010 presidential elections. International calls for him to step down have become louder and atrocities committed by his loyalists are well-documented. When it's all said and done, justice will take its course.

My thoughts and prayers go out to family and friends of the slain Swedish UN worker and all the numerous civilians who have been shot death in Ivory Coast since violence broke out following the disputed November 2010 presidential election.

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Barack Obama's video message to the people of Ivory Coast

This morning, I watched a video message posted on the White House Blog from President Barack Obama to the people of Ivory Coast. In the message, the president of the United States recognized Alassane Ouattara as the democratically elected president of Ivory Coast and expressed concern about the on-going power struggle and it's implications on the Ivorian people.

Obama unequivocally condemned Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to relinguish power since he was declared loser of the November 2010 presidential election, and commended the internationally recognized president of Ivory Coast - Alassane Ouattara - for seeking a peaceful solution to the stalmate. Obama urged Laurent Gbagbo to follow the "example of leaders who reject violence."

President Barack Obama's 1 minute 43 seconds long video message ends with a direct appeal to the people of Ivory Coast.



After watching the video, I have no doubt that some people will argue that "the west" is once again meddling in the internal affairs of a "sovereign" state because of "self interest" and the desire to exploit "natural resources". This argument is all too common, but as far as I'm concerned,  it defends the status quo and does not hold water; neither does it provide a solution to today's human rights challenges. People of good conscience do not expect the so-called "west" to sit back and silently watch innocent civilians in any part of the world die in the name of "sovereignty".

Where a state proves to be unwilling or incapable of protecting civilians within its borders from untold large scale violations, the international community has a moral and legal obligation under international law to take "all necessary measures" to protect civilians caught in a deadly conflict.

Ivory Coast is in chaos and there're allegations of crimes against humanity committed by supporters and troops loyal to Laurent Gbagbo. The United Nations reports that about a million people have fled their homes as a result of post-elections violence.

I welcome President Obama's message to the people of Ivory Coast, but more concrete steps should be urgently taken to protect civilians on the ground. More importantly, those who have participated in any way in perpetuating human rights violations in Ivory Coast since the disputed November 2010 presidential elections should bear the full weight of the law.

Read the country profile of Ivory Coast for more information about the country and please take the POLL on the top right hand corner of this blog [UPDATE: Poll closed].

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Théophile Kouamouo: Arrested for publishing Corruption Report in Ivory Coast

A message calling my attention to the arrest and detention of a leading French-speaking African blogger - Théophile Kouamouo in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), was disheartening. On 13 July 2010, Théophile Kouamouo and two other journalists were arrested for publishing an article about alleged corruption in the cocoa and coffee trade sector in Côte d'Ivoire.

According to Global Voices, Théophile Kouamouo, a French citizen of Cameroonian origin, was arrested alondside two other journalists - Saint Claver Oula and Stéphane Guédé - all working for "Le Nouveau Courrier", a new news daily launched on 25 May 2010, on the orders of the Public Prosecutor - Raymond Tchimou Fehou.

The published corruption report contained details of the findings of the Prosecutor's investigation into corruption, including fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, forgery, you name it, in the cocoa and coffee sector. Théophile Kouamouo and his colleagues were arrested, questioned and detained after refusing to reveal the source of the published information. On the morning of the arrest, plainclothes policemen allegedly stormed and searched the office of "Le Nouveau Courrier" without a search warrant.

It is worth  noting that Côte d'Ivoire is party to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and Article 19 of the ICCPR clearly states that: "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice." It therefore goes without saying that the state has an obligation to guarantee freedom of expression within its borders.

Théophile Kouamouo and his colleagues at "Le Nouveau Courrier" were arrested, questioned and detained for simply expressing views on the findings of an investigation into embezzlement in the cocoa and coffee sector. This, no doubt, is a violation of Article 19 of the ICCPR.

The Prosecutor seems to be unaware of the fact that Article 1 of the Code of Ethics for Ivorian Journalists, provides that journalists have the right to protect their information sources.  Arguably, by refusing to reveal their sources, Théophile Kouamouo and his colleagues demonstrated commendable professionalism and adherence to "house rules." Does adherence to a code of ethics constitute a crime?

You would agree that the arrest and detention of  journalists undermines human rights and the fundamental right to freedom of expression in Côte d'Ivoire and beyond. The arrest of Théophile Kouamouo and his colleagues is in line with a systematic crackdown on freedom of expression and freedom of press in many African countries. In April, a journalist, Germain Ngota, died under mysterious circumstances behind bars in Cameroon; in Egypt, a young blogger - Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman is still in jail for expressing his views.

Should journalists, reporters and writers be arrested for seeking, receiving and imparting information?

Théophile Kouamouo and his colleagues have been deprived of liberty since 13 July, awaiting charges of "theft of administrative documents." In the interest of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the journalists should be released unconditionally.

Help secure the release of Théophile Kouamouo by signing this online petition.

UPDATE (26 July 2010): Thanks to a coordinated public outcry, all three journalists have been released, following a trial on 26 July 2010. However, the newspaper, Nouveau Courier, has been suspended for 15 days and slammed with a fine of 5 million CFA francs. Speaking out against human rights violations can make all the difference.

*Photo: Global Voices.

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