There were scuffles outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday* at the opening day of the trial of Laurent Gbagbo, former president of Ivory Coast.
Supporters of Mr Gbagbo (70) demanded his acquittal, claiming he is being punished for “standing up to France”, the former colonial power in the west African state.
Mr Gbagbo was arrested in 2011 after refusing to acknowledge his victorious rival, Alassane Ouattara, following an election the previous year.
He will be tried on four counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for inciting post-election violence that claimed more than 3,000 lives.
The disputed 2010 election led to four months of civil war in Ivory Coast. It culminated when Mr Gbagbo, having barricaded himself in the presidential palace, was forced out by a combination of French troops and forces loyal to Mr Ouattara.
The former academic is the first former head of state to appear in the ICC dock.
He rose stiffly and replied, “I plead not guilty” when the charges of orchestrating murder, rape, attempted murder and persecution were put to him.
Campaign of violence
ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the court that when Mr Gbagbo saw that he was going to lose the presidency, “he began a campaign of violence against those he considered his opponents”, including Muslims and other ethnic groups he assumed supported Mr Ouattara.
“Côte d’Ivoire succumbed to chaos and was subjected to unspeakable violence”, she said. “Nothing was going to defeat Mr Gbagbo. If politics failed, violence was seen as politics by other means. Gbagbo never intended to leave office.”
Alongside Mr Gbagbo in the ICC dock is Charles Blé Goudé (44), former leader of the Young Patriots militia, who became known as “the general of the streets” during the 2011 election crisis.
Mr Blé Goudé likes to compare himself to Nelson Mandela, whose autobiography he is apparently reading in jail. He is charged jointly with Mr Gbagbo and also pleaded not guilty, adding that he “did not recognise” the charges.
Ms Bensouda pledged on Wednesday to “leave no stone unturned to ensure accountability on all sides”. She confirmed that her investigation into the pro-Ouattara camp, which began last year, was continuing.
However, when the prosecutor appealed in court for “patience”, her plea was met by jeers from the public behind the bulletproof glass screen in the gallery.
This prompted the presiding judge, Cuno Tarfusser, to warn that he would not allow the trial – which is expected to last three or four years – to be used for “political grandstanding”.
“This is not a game”, he stated. “The [judges’] chamber will not allow this case to be used as a political instrument in any way whatsoever.”
Outside, however, Michelle, an Ivorian supporter of Mr Gbagbo living in Paris, said she demanded that he be released immediately.
“This is neo-colonialism,” Michelle stated. “France simply intervened to oust Gbagbo and install a rebel chief in his place.”
The Gbagbo case has now become the most important in the 13-year history of the ICC, which was set up to ensure that the rule of law extended to leaders and heads of state.
Significant trial
“This is a very significant moment because it’s the first time the ICC will try a former head of state for crimes against his own people,” said Bill Pace, convener of the Coalition for the ICC, a global network that supports the court.
At one point, it looked as though a sitting president, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, would face an ICC trial.
Before the trial even began, however, the charges against Mr Kenyatta collapsed ignominiously in December 2014, in a blizzard of mutual recrimination due to lack of evidence.
* This article was amended on January 29th at 10am to correct an error
