IVORY COAST: Youth members of former President Laurent Gbagbo's party clash with police in Abidjan to demand the release of their leader, who is currently awaiting trial at The Hague

Record ID: 182291

  • Title: IVORY COAST: Youth members of former President Laurent Gbagbo's party clash with police in Abidjan to demand the release of their leader, who is currently awaiting trial at The Hague
  • Date: 16th February 2013
  • Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (FEBRUARY 16, 2013) (ORIGINALLY 4:3 / QUALITY AS INCOMING) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF YOUTH MARCHING AND SHOUTING IN FRENCH: 'CPI, FREE GBAGBO!' POLICE YOUTH MARCHING AND SHOUTING IN FRENCH ''CPI, FREE GBAGBO!' YOUTH MOVING BACK AWAY FROM POLICE / SMOKE FROM TEAR GAS IN BACKGROUND YOUTH RUNNING FROM TEAR GAS ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (FEBRUARY 16, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) SECRETARY GENERAL FOR THE YOUNG POPULAR IVORIAN FRONT, JUSTIN KOUA, SAYING: "We will remain committed to our will to live in democracy and liberty, but we do not know, and we did not envision, that the regime was ready to repress this meeting, especially because we were not notified that this meeting would be prohibited." VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF A PHOTOGRAPH OF FORMER IVORY COAST PRESIDENT LAURENT GBAGBO HANGING ON A WALL NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) SECRETARY GENERAL FOR THE YOUNG POPULAR IVORIAN FRONT, JUSTIN KOUA, SAYING: "I would like to invite the Ivorian regime to refrain from pushing to accelerate this to the breaking point, for the benefit of the social fabric." ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (FEBRUARY 16, 2013) (ORIGINALLY 4:3 / QUALITY AS INCOMING) (REUTERS) YOUTH WITH THEIR HANDS IN THE AIR, AND MAKING A 'V' FOR VICTORY SIGN, SHOUTING IN FRENCH: 'CPI, FREE GBAGBO!'
  • Embargoed: 3rd March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cote d'Ivoire
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: Crime,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1XCECNYDSD8QU36KLDGGUNPZO
  • Story Text: Young supporters of Ivory Coast's ex-President Laurent Gbagbo were stopped by local police Saturday (February 16), when they started to protest against the upcoming trial of their leader at The Hague.

    "CPI, Free Gbagbo!" were the words they chanted, using the French acronym 'CPI' to refer to the International Criminal Court, where Gbagbo currently awaits trial for crimes against humanity committed during the 2011 civil war sparked by his refusal to accept the election victory of rival Alassane Ouattara.
    Saturday's protest had barely begun in the streets of the country's commercial capital, when police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
    Afterwards, at a meeting of the youth from Gbagbo's party, the FPI, the group's secretary general, Justin Koua said they would not let the day's setback stop them.

    "We will remain committed to our will to live in democracy and liberty, but we do not know, and we did not envision, that the regime was ready to repress this meeting, especially because we were not notified that this meeting would be prohibited," he said.
    The FPI threatened on Friday (February 15) to boycott the upcoming local elections, undermining efforts to bring Gbagbo's supporters back into the political mainstream after their defeat in a brief 2011 civil war.
    Outtara's government announced on Wednesday last week that the twice-delayed local polls will be held in April.

    "I would like to invite the Ivorian regime to refrain from pushing to accelerate this to the breaking point, for the benefit of the social fabric," Koua added.
    Gbagbo won 46 percent of votes in the 2010 runoff that sparked the violence, and his FPI party boycotted legislative polls in late 2011.
    Analysts see the local and regional elections as the last chance to reintegrate Ivorian political institutions and warn another boycott would further marginalise the former president's still numerous supporters.
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