Simone Gbagbo, Ivory Coast’s former first lady once wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, is making a political comeback as she runs for president in Saturday’s election, this time without her ex-husband, former President Laurent Gbagbo.
The 76-year-old politician, widely known as the “Iron Lady” for her hardline political style, is the most prominent challenger cleared to contest against incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, who is widely expected to secure a fourth term in office.
Simone Gbagbo was a dominant and divisive figure during her husband’s presidency, which was marred by civil conflict between 2002 and 2007 and again after the disputed 2010 election.
“All the ministers respect me, and I am often placed above them,” she once told French newspaper L’Express, highlighting her influence during her years in power.
From Arrest to Political Reinvention
After Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to concede defeat to Ouattara in 2010 triggered a post-election crisis that killed about 3,000 people, the couple was arrested together in 2011 at their residence in Abidjan.
Their political and personal partnership officially ended in 2021 when Laurent filed for divorce. The following year, Simone founded her own political movement, the Movement of Skilled Generations (MGS), a party she describes as rooted in “social democratic principles.”
Despite her ambitions, analysts doubt her chances of victory.
“But she is positioning herself for the future,” said historian and political analyst Arthur Banga. “She will become the leader of the political opposition after these elections,” he told Reuters, noting that both Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam were disqualified from contesting.
A Lifelong Opposition Figure
Simone Gbagbo’s political journey began in the 1970s as a trade unionist challenging the one-party rule of Ivory Coast’s founding leader, Félix Houphouët-Boigny.
In the 1980s, she co-founded the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) alongside Laurent Gbagbo, marrying him in 1989 and later entering the National Assembly in 1995. Her husband became president in 2000.
After their 2011 arrest, Laurent was transferred to The Hague to face trial before the ICC, while Simone was tried domestically. In 2015, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes against the state, but President Ouattara granted her amnesty in 2018, a move seen as an effort to promote national reconciliation.
A Campaign for Reconciliation and Sovereignty
Running on a platform of national healing, Simone Gbagbo has pledged to champion “justice and reconciliation” and has proposed a general amnesty to free political prisoners and allow exiles to return.
She has also called for “true monetary autonomy” by replacing the euro-pegged CFA franc with a new regional currency and expressed support for the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which have experienced military coups and maintain strained relations with Ouattara’s administration.
Her campaign recently gained momentum after receiving the endorsement of Charles Blé Goudé, a longtime ally of Laurent Gbagbo and former ICC defendant acquitted in 2019.
“Simone Gbagbo has demonstrated that she is a committed politician and, above all, a pragmatic woman,” Banga said. “She seems poised to strengthen her popular legitimacy by running in this election, which is likely to be Ouattara’s last.”
He added, “Let’s not forget that 2030 will be different.”
