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Ivory Coast TV presenter sentenced for promoting rape

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , , ,

– – The popular Ivorian television presenter suspended for asking a guest on his show to simulate rape has now been sentenced by a court. Yves de M’Bella received a 12-month suspended sentence for what prosecutors say was the promotion of rape. The court fined him $3,600 and placed a ban on him from leaving the country’s main city, Abidjan. De M’Bella had asked his guest to demonstrate a rape using a female mannequin, an incident that attracted criticisms from viewers and social media users. He even at a point…

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Africa Ivory Coast West Africa World 

Ivorian TV presenter suspended for asking guest to simulate rape

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – A television presenter in Ivory Coast has been suspended for asking a convicted rapist he invited onto his show to simulate a rape. Yves de Mbella had asked his guest to demonstrate a rape using a female mannequin, an incident that attracted criticisms from viewers and social media users. De Mbella even at a point of the show helped the guest adjust the mannequin and asked him how he chooses his victims, whether he preferred them “slim or fat” and whether the victims “enjoyed it”. Ivory Coast’s independent…

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Africa Ivory Coast West Africa World 

Ivory Coast begins vaccination against Ebola

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – Ivory Coast has begun an Ebola vaccination programme following the confirmation of its first case since 1994. The country’s health ministry said the family of the infected teenager and health workers involved were the first to be given the jab. Health official Serge Ehole said that they planned to have vaccinated by Wednesday “all the 2,000 people that we consider exposed from the community, and also people from the health system and security”. The infected teenager tested positive on Saturday after arriving in the commercial hub, Abidjan, on…

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ICC lifts arrest warrant on Ivory Coast’s Simone Gbagbo

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – The International Criminal Court (ICC) has decided to lift an international arrest warrant issued for former Ivory Coast first lady Simone Gbagbo. The court had issued the arrest warrant against Simone Gbagbo who was facing accusations of crimes against humanity, but Ivory Coast refused to extradite her to the Hague. Those crimes were allegedly committed during the country’s 2010-2011 post-election crisis after her husband, former President Laurent Gbagbo refused to hand over power to current president Alassane Ouattara. The ICC said “the evidence on which the arrest warrant…

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Africa Ivory Coast West Africa World 

Ivory Coast’s Ouattara and Gbagbo meet after 10 years

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – Ivory Coast’s key political rivals, President Alassane Ouattara and his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo have met face to face for the first time in 10 years. The two held a meeting on Tuesday as part of efforts to reconcile and forge national unity amid political tension. It was the tension between the two political rivals in the wake of the 2010-2011 post-election dispute that sparked a brief civil way a decade ago. That conflict led to the death of more than 3,000 people and got Gbagbo facing trial at…

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Africa Ivory Coast West Africa World 

Ivorian political rivals Ouattara and Gbagbo to meet

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – The President of Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara is to hold a face to face meeting with his rival and predecessor Laurent Gbagbo on July 27, 2021. A presidential spokesperson who made the announcement on Wednesday said this will be the first for the two since Gbagbo’s return to Abidjan last month. Laurent Gbagbo had spent a decade in exile, facing years of legal procedures at the International Criminal Court for a brief civil war that took place in 2010. The ex-president and his right-hand man Charles Ble Goude…

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Laurent Gbagbo back home in Ivory Coast after 10 years

Elwin Mandowa, , , , ,

– – Former President of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo has returned to his home country after ten years. He has been away, facing trial for crimes against humanity on the back of the brief civil war that took place in 2010 in Ivory Coast. The ex-president and his right-hand man Charles Ble Goude were acquitted of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Judges dismissed an appeal by prosecutors over the 2019 decision to clear him and Ble Goude over the post-electoral violence. More than 3,000 people were…

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Africa Ivory Coast West Africa World 

Ivory Coast: Ouattara says ex-leader Gbagbo can return home

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara has said that his predecessor, the ex-president Laurent Gbagbo can return home. Ouattara said Gbagbo’s his right-hand man Charles Ble Goude can also return home after the duo were definitively acquitted of crimes against humanity. Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) upheld the acquittal of Laurent Gbagbo on crimes against humanity charges. Judges dismissed an appeal by prosecutors over the 2019 decision to clear him and his Charles Ble Goude over a wave of post-electoral violence. More than 3,000 people were killed in…

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Africa Featured Ivory Coast West Africa World 

ICC upholds acquittal of ex-Ivorian president Gbagbo

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

Gbagbo’s trial started in January 2016, but three years later judges said they had found that prosecutors had “failed to satisfy the burden of proof to the requisite standard.” It was one of the ICC’s biggest failures since it was set up in 2002 as the world’s only permanent war crimes court. Prosecutors then appealed, focusing on what they said was a procedural error when judges in 2019 initially handed down the decision orally, and did not issue a full written judgement until months later. But the ICC dismissed the…

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Ivorian Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko dies of cancer

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – Ivory Coast’s prime minister, Hamed Bakayoko has died in Germany at the age of 56, according to the government. President Alassane Ouattara said in a statement on twitter that “I have the immense sorrow to announce the death of the Prime Minister, Hamed Bakayoko, Head of Government, Minister of Defense, this Wednesday March 10, 2021, in Germany, as a result of cancer.” He continued that that the late prime minister “was a great statesman, a model for our youth, a personality of great generosity and exemplary loyalty.” The…

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