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Summary: Gbagbo’s indictment, however, is seen as only half the story, as victims of crimes by forces loyal to Ouattara have so far gone unpunished.
[THE HAGUE, 30 November 2011] — Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo was taken into custody by the International Criminal Court Wednesday to face charges of murder, rape and other crimes allegedly committed by his supporters as he clung to power after last year’s elections. Gbagbo, 66, is the first former head of state arrested by the court since it was established in 2002. Prosecutors also have charged Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with genocide, but he has refused to surrender to the court. Libya’s former leader, the late Moammar Gadhafi, was killed before he could be put on trial in The Hague on crimes against humanity charges. “Mr. Gbagbo is brought to account for his individual responsibility in the attacks against civilians committed by forces acting on his behalf,” Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said in a statement. Prosecutors say about 3,000 people died in violence by both sides after Gbagbo refused to concede defeat following the November 28 presidential election. President Alassane Ouattara only took power in April with the help of French and UN forces. Gbagbo was expected to spend Wednesday settling in his new cell in the court’s seaside detention unit and will likely appear before judges in coming days. His arrest and transfer to the court in The Hague on an overnight flight sparked elation and anger in Ivory Coast’s largest city of Abidjan, which is still divided into neighborhoods supporting Gbagbo or Ouattara. In pro-Ouattara neighborhood Doakoure, Sarah Dosso said she sang and danced when she heard the news of Gbagbo’s transfer. “It’s overwhelming. I’m really happy,” the 25-year-old said outside her home, which faces a mass grave where her father and brother are buried. Adama Diomande, a local leader of Ouattara’s political party, says there are 42 bodies in the mass grave and a total of 91 people were killed in the neighbourhood in post-election fighting. He has most of the victims’ names, with photocopies of their ID cards, in a thick file labeled “deceased.” Moreno-Ocampo stressed that both sides of the political divide in Ivory Coast committed crimes in the post-election chaos and that his investigation was continuing. That statement appeared aimed at countering fears that Gbagbo’s arrest could further stoke tension in Ivory Coast, also known by its French name Cote d’Ivoire, because it gives the appearance of victor’s justice. Grave abuses also were committed by forces loyal to Ouattara, who enlisted the help of a former rebel group to force Gbagbo from office, human rights groups say. In a clear indication of the lingering resentment dividing the West African nation, taxi driver Ble Hypolite called Gbagbo’s transfer “illegal.” “It’s not fair. Both parties were responsible. Since 2002 civilians have been killed, especially in the west,” he said. “This is bad for reconciliation.” Reed Brody, of Human Rights Watch, said Gbagbo’s indictment was only half the story as victims of crimes by forces loyal to Ouattara have so far gone unpunished. Further Information:
pdf: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/ex-ivory-coast-president-laur...