Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, who led Ivory Coast from 2000 until his ouster in 2011, had approached the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights to contest his exclusion from the upcoming presidential election, citing a domestic criminal conviction.
Although Gbagbo was acquitted of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC), a conviction remains against him in Ivory Coast related to the post-election violence that followed the 2010 polls and ultimately led to his removal from power.
In his petition, Gbagbo claimed that the Ivorian government had violated his political and civil rights by barring him from contesting the presidency. However, the court found that the 80-year-old former leader had failed to present sufficient evidence to support his claim.
Gbagbo is not the only high-profile figure excluded from the October presidential race. Former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and prominent banker Tidjane Thiam have also been ruled ineligible on legal grounds.
Even if the court had ruled in Gbagbo’s favor, the impact would have been limited. The Ivorian government does not recognize the authority of the African Union court, and as such, it is unlikely to enforce any decision rendered by the tribunal.
