Press Release on the Decision to cancel the effect of the arrest warrant issued against Ms. Simone Gbagbo. African Francophone Coalitions for the ICC
Mr. Ali Ouattara, Ivorian Coalition for the ICC, for the Francophone African Coalitions for the ICC. Press Release originally published on 2 August 2021.
Decision to cancel the effect of the arrest warrant issued against Ms. Simone Gbagbo: "These acquittals should not make us forget the thousands of victims of the Ivorian crisis who need justice and reparations"
After the final acquittal of Mr. Laurent Gbagbo and Mr. Charles Blé Goudé and now the cancellation of the arrest warrant against Ms. Simone Gbagbo, African civil society renews its call for the victims not to be sacrificed in this international judicial process and urges the authorities of Côte d'Ivoire to open investigations on Ivorian soil.
On July 19, 2021, Pre-Trial Chamber II ruled on the prosecutor's request to cancel the effect of the arrest warrant issued against Ms. Simone Gbagbo. The former First Lady of Côte d'Ivoire has been the subject of an arrest warrant since 2012 for crimes against humanity. Unlike Ms. Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé who had been surrendered to the ICC, tried and acquitted, the Ivorian authorities had refused to execute the arrest warrant for Ms. Simone Gbagbo. Today, with the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber II to cancel this arrest warrant, the victims of the Ivorian crisis are totally disappointed and feel once again abandoned by national and international justice. "This decision should not make us forget the thousands of victims of the Ivorian crisis who need justice and reparations," said Ms. Mama Koité, president of the Malian Coalition for the ICC.
For Ms. Doumbia Fanta, executive coordinator of the Ivorian Coalition for the ICC, "We must avoid the victims being sacrificed in this international judicial process".
Côte d'Ivoire recognized the jurisdictional competence of the ICC in 2003 for crimes committed since September 19, 2002, before ratifying the Rome Statute on February 15, 2013.
Commenting on the decision to cancel the arrest warrant, Mr. Ali Ouattara, Coordinator of the Francophone African Coalitions for the ICC said "The ICC would benefit from not giving false hope to victims of serious crimes. It must give confidence to victims through credible investigations and decisions that take into account their interests."
Hamidou Barry, president of the Guinean Coalition for the ICC, added : "The ICC must also extend its investigations to all parties involved in the Ivorian conflict in order to ensure that justice is done to the victims and avoid recidivism."
The 2010 post-election crisis resulted in more than 3,000 deaths and led to the opening of an investigation by the ICC in Côte d'Ivoire.
For all these reasons, the Coalitions of Francophone Africa for the ICC reiterate their concern that the victims of crimes committed in Côte d'Ivoire, in particular, and those committed on the African continent, in general, not be forgotten.
The African Francophone Coalitions for the ICC therefore encourages the Ivorian authorities to open investigations on site, within the framework of complementarity. This would allow the victims to know the truth, to obtain justice and reparations, all with the aim of fighting impunity.
Mr. Ali Ouattara, Coordinator, Francophone African Coalitions for the ICC
