Côte d’Ivoire: Laurent Gbagbo’s PPA-CI marks one year anniversary

PPA-CI, the political party of former Ivoirian leader Laurent Gbagbo, is celebrating this Monday its first anniversary, ahead of the 2025 presidential elections.

The party is the third force in the national assembly with 18 seats behind ruling RHDP of incumbent President Alassan Ouattara and PDCI of former leader Henri Konan Bédié. “There is no doubt: the PPA-CI is already a major player on the Ivorian political arena,” said Justin Koné Katinan, spokesman for the party and former budget minister.

PPA-CI was founded in 2021 upon the return of leader Gbagbo in June after he was acquitted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) after a lengthy trial. Gbagbo was arrested in April 2011 and transferred to the ICC detention unit in The Hague. The ICC charged him with four counts of crimes against humanity for allegedly having been an “indirect co-perpetrator” of acts of murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, persecution, and other inhuman acts.

Ivorians are expected to vote a new leader in 2025 and Gbagbo is touted to be the party’s candidate.