The Former Ivory Coast
President Laurent Gbagbao and Charles Ble Goude on Thursday were arraigned before
the International Criminal Court on charges of sparking a civil war that killed
3,000 people. The war began in 2011 after Gbagbo refused to accept the result
of an election he lost in 2010
The two faces four counts of
crimes against humanity, namely murder, rape, persecution and other inhumane
acts or alternatively attempted murder. Charles Ble Goude, Gbagbo's co-accused,
was a former minister and leader of the youth league, and gained a reputation
as "street general" for his ability to mobilise supporters and
militias.
ICC prosecutors allege that Gbagbo
and Ble Goude were the heads of an inner circle of influential people to keep
Gbagbo in power "by all means". The two accused allegedly established
a "parallel structure" to bypass the official hierarchy in the
security forces and give direct orders to loyal officers.
Gbagbo who had been in power since 2000, considered himself the
winner of the presidential elections in late 2010. He refused to hand over
power despite calls from the international community, which claimed opposition candidate Ouattara was the
legitimate president.
Outtara
was forced to govern the country from a first-floor room at the beachfront Golf
Hotel in Ivory Coast's economic capital of Abidjan, guarded by 800 UN
soldiers.
Clashes between the two camps spread across the city and
the country, leaving about 3,000 people dead. After several months, Ouattara's
forces were able to win power and arrest Gbagbo.
Those who were affected by the
post elections violence will be represented by Paolina Massidda. Massidda
joined the International Criminal Court in 2002. She is an Italian lawyer,
together with her team they operate between the Hague and the countries where
those who experienced genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity live.
While more crimes were
committed, the indictment relates to four specific incidents between December
2010 and March 2011. The first is an attack on demonstrators outside the
headquarters of the public broadcaster RTI, where pro-Gbagbo forces are alleged
to have killed at least 33 civilians; the second, an attack on the Yopougon
neighborhood which left 22 dead; the third, the firing on demonstrators at a
women's march at which seven were killed and lastly the shootings at Abobo
market which killed at least 40 people.
Gbagbo’s supporters who mounted
protest at the Hague claimed he was being punished for standing up to the
former colonial power. "This is neo-colonialism.
France intervened to oust Gbagbo and install a rebel chief," Gbagbo's
supporter was heard chanting. Gbagbo's
supporters accuse the court of being selective in its prosecutions, though
court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said on Wednesday she had stepped up
investigations into the pro-Ouattara camp. The court was set up to prosecute
the gravest international crimes, has so far handed down two convictions,
both against little known African warlords.