The activists and sympathizers of the former head of state, Laurent Gbagbo, stormed in the early afternoon, this Thursday, June 27, 2021, the former headquarters (HQ) of the Ivorian Popular Front ( FPI) located in the Riviera Attoban to welcome their leader who is treading on Ivorian soil after 10 years spent outside Côte d’Ivoire.

Great fervor at the former president’s campaign headquarters. From the crossroads leading to the building where Laurent Gbagbo is expected by thousands of supporters, the atmosphere is carnival.

Dressed, who in loincloths, who in T-shirts bearing the effigy of their leader, it is by whistles, bells, drums mixed with songs and dances that the supporters of Gbagbo demonstrate the return of the ex-detainee of the ICC.

“Today is a big day for us. The kidnapped and expatriated son finds his family. It is therefore a moment of great joy, ”said this man of sixty years old quite moved.

Grouped around a percussionist with well-built biceps, young people make the rounds, dancing and chanting “Respect the arrival of Gbagbo”.

In this overheated atmosphere, nothing is neglected by the organizers who hold several cheick-points to ensure that malicious people are encrusted to sow trouble.

Inside Laurent Gbagbo’s HQ, it’s difficult to find your way, just like outside. Meanwhile, the activists continue to pour in in waves, impatient to see the arrival of the leader.

Despite ten years of absence, Laurent Gbagbo is still popular. Many Ivorians think that his return is a strong sign of the relaxation of political life in Côte d’Ivoire.

Arrested in April 2011, in Abidjan, Laurent Gbagbo was initially detained in the north of the country before being transferred to a cell of the ICC, which finally acquitted him after lengthy legal proceedings.

Since his acquittal, the former head of state had lived in Brussels, from where he had repeatedly announced his intention to return to the country.

Source: Agence Ivoirienne de Presse