See also: Gbagbo (homonymy)
Laurent Koudou Gbagbo (born the May 31st 1945) is the president of the Ivory Coast since 2000.
Originating in Mama (village of the sub-prefecture of Ouragahio, department of Gagnoa), he married in second weddings Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, Marxist trade unionist , very near to the mediums evangelists states-uniens.
He obtains his baccalaureat of philosophy to the traditional college of Abidjan in 1965, then a license of Histoire at the University of Abidjan in 1969. He becomes in 1970 professor of history to the traditional college Abidjan Cocody. Researcher with the Institut of History, Art and African Archeology (IHAAA) starting from 1974, Gbagbo is also titular of a control of history of the Sorbonne. He supports in June 1979 a thesis of doctorate in history entitled the socio-economic springs of the policy of the Ivory Coast: 1940-1960 .
Member of the national union of research and higher education (SYNARES), it takes part in the strike movements of teaching in 1982, and founds in clandestinity the future Popular front of the Ivory Coast. He leaves in exile for the France in 1985, so according to him fighting against the dictatorship of the PDCI, then sole party and promoting the multi-party system. In France, it binds friendship with Guy Labertit, member of PSU, even if its relationship with the socialist party with the capacity in France is difficult, because of its opposition to Houphouët-Boigny.
Gbagbo returns in Ivory Coast on September 13rd 1988, Houphouët having implicitly granted her forgiveness by declaring that the tree is not annoyed against the bird .
The political militant
The opponent with Felix Houphouët-Boigny
Gbagbo is an active trade unionist in the years 1970, whose teaching is considered to be subversive; he is imprisoned in Séguéla and Bouaké of March 1971 in January 1973. Become director of the IHAAA in 1980, it appears at the time of the demonstrations coeds of the February 9th 1982, of which he is the principal craftsman and who cause the closing of the universities and the universities. It is during this year that in clandestinity the future Popular front of the Ivory Coast is born (FPI). Its exile in France is the occasion to promote the FPI and its government program. Ideologically near to the PS, there remains officially been unaware of French Socialist government of the time then of that of Jacques Chirac. However, it undergoes French pressures to turn over in its country, Houphouët worrying about see it developing a network of contacts, and finding that its stirring up opponent would be much less cumbersome in Abidjan than in Paris .In 1988, it returns in Ivory Coast, and becomes general secretary of the FPI, at the time of the congress constitutive of this party November 19th and 20th 1988. October 28th, 1990 takes place the presidential election, with for the first time another candidature that of Felix Houphouët-Boigny, that of Gbagbo, who gains 18,3% of the votes, which confers to him the statute of leader of the opposition. The legislative elections of November 25th, 1990 are the first under the sign of the multi-party system. The FPI obtains 9 seats (out of 175); Gbagbo himself is elected in the district of Ouaragahio, where its birthplace is.
In May 1991, then in February 1992 take place of big demonstrations coeds. February 18th - Alassane Ouattara being then Prime Minister - Gbagbo is stopped, and condemned on March 6th to two years of prison (released in August).
After Houphouët
In 1995, Gbagbo calls with the boycott of the presidential election of October 22nd, because of the reform of the electoral code (December 8th). Henri Konan Bédié is elected with 96,44% of the votes. At the time of partial legislative elections on December 30th, 1996, Gbagbo is re-elected in her district, the FPI gaining 5 of the 8 vacant seats. Designated official candidate of the FPI at the time of the 3rd congress of this party July 9th, 10th and 11th 1999, it presents to the presidential election October 22nd 2000 against the military leader Robert Guéï. This election is marked by elimination by the Supreme court of several candidatures - of which that of Alassane Ouattara) - for doubtful nationality and false and use of forgery on filiation. Gbagbo carries it vis-a-vis Guéï, which refuses its defeat; a popular revolt in favor of Gbagbo (who affirms to have gained with 59,4 % of the votes) bursts in the main city of the country, Abidjan. Guéï is forced to leave, and Gbagbo becomes president the October 26th. The Guéï general recognizes the legitimacy of Gbagbo on November 13rd. At the time of the legislative elections of December 10th, the FPI brings to Gbagbo a majority of 91 seats, against 70 with the PDCI and 16 independent. that the French Army decapitated young people of the Ivory Coast during the repression of the manifestations of the weekend of November 6th.
Assessments of the demonstrations
Since at the end of November 2004, the party of Laurent Gbagbo and France are opposed on the assessment of the manifestations of the from November 6th to 9th.
These demonstrations began on November 6th, one hour thirty after the bombardment of Bouaké, while being accompanied by plunderings. They initially turned to the airport and the hotel Ivoire (Saturday and Sunday), as in front of the French base, before being held Monday and Tuesday in direction of the Charles-of-Gaulle bridge, making it possible to go from the north of the city to the airport and the 43e BIMa. It seems that certain demonstrators were armed (according to the French government and of the French newspapers).
The government of the Ivory Coast advances an assessment of 57 killed civilians and 2.226 wounded between the 6 and on November 10th. Certains assessments making state of 67 dead perhaps includes the gendarmes ivoiriens. The French Army counts approximately 80 wounded for these events (either an assessment of 11 died and 120 wounded since the beginning of its intervention in Ivory Coast). The assessments of the various hospitals of the Ivory Coast of Abidjan show that these casualties were it mainly by shootings of firearms.
Agreement of Ouagadougou
From February 5th to March 3rd, 2007 with Ouagadougou meetings of delegations of the various parts take place. A political agreement is signed on March 4th by Misters Gbagbo, Soro and Compaoré, this last as a facilitator .
Consequently of this agreement, Gbagbo appoints Soro Prime Minister on March 29th, which declares, in an address with the nation on April 13rd, knowledge liking with President Laurent Gbagbo to have taken L `initiative of the direct dialog , and ask Pardon for all and in the name of all . We must now learn how to forgive also declare it. In this same spirit of the forgiveness , Gbagbo signs on April 12th a measurement of Amnistie.
Relation with UNO
Laurent Gbagbo wrote in Kofi Annan in December 2006 to ask him to point out the special representative of the general secretary of UNO in Ivory Coast, Swedish Pierre Schori, posts of it since April 2005, date on which it had taken the succession of the Beninese Albert Tévoédjrè.
Relations with the African countries
- Mouammar Kadhafi affirms “one needs several Gbagbo”
- Whereas certain Neighboring states of the Ivory Coast appreciate Laurent Gbagbo (Mauritania, Guinea), the president of the Burkina Faso Blaise Compaoré declared that the problem of the Ivory Coast was related to the presence of Laurent Gbagbo to the report heading. Since, on a proposal from president Gbagbo, Compaoré supervised the direct dialog between Gbagbo and the ex-rebels of the new Forces, and the Safety advice of UNO has encouraged Compaoré to contribute to the fast concluding of a agreement.
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Laurent Gbagbo is socialist, and its party the FPI is attached to the Internationale Socialist. With the crisis of November 2004, the French socialist party decides to break publicly with him.
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In a declaration of November 14th, the former French president Jacques Chirac declares: “Laurent Gbagbo is a charismatic populist chief, manipulator and nationalist who resembles by certain sides to the fascists”.
Books
- 1971 : Soundjata, lion of Manding
- 1978: Reflections on the conference of Brazzaville
- 1982: Coast of ivory: Economy and company the day before independence (1940-1960)
- 1983: Ivory Coast: For a democratic alternative
- 1987: Proposals to control the Ivory Coast
- 1989: Ivory Coast: History of a return
- 1991: To act for freedoms
- 1995: the time of the hope
- 2002: On the traces of Bétés
See too
Related articles
- List of the current leaders
- Political of the Ivory Coast
External bonds
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Laurent Gbagbo denounces UNO and France: " If they want to leave, that they leave! " Discussion with Philippe Bernard in Le Monde
- Constitution of the Ivory Coast