The ruling Côte d’Ivoire and an opposition party signed on Tuesday in Abidjan “an agreement of cooperation” for “national reconciliation, social cohesion and democracy”, in a country with a history recently marked by political violence.
Pascal Affi N’Guessan, a former close friend of former president Laurent, said: “We all see that wounds cannot heal completely, because we have not been able to carry out a process of genuine reconciliation. “Of course, Côte d’Ivoire does not burn, but the embers do not go out.
And as long as there are embers, everyone knows, the fire can burn again if some people blow it well,” said Mr. Affi N’Guessan added to justify the signing of this agreement with President Alassane Ouattara’s Houphouët Rallies for Democracy and Peace (RHDP)
According to him, “reconciliation goes through forgiveness to overcome the tears and tragedies of the past”, adding: “No matter what happened in the past, the need for a future must overcome the desire for revenge. “ Spokesperson of an opposition party that does not recognize President Alassane Ouattara’s re-election to a controversial third term in the October 31, 2020 presidential election,
Pascal Affi N’Guessan joined the declaration of the “National Transitional Council”, which was supposed to replace the regime.
This led to his arrest in November 2020, detention for nearly two months, and prosecution, along with other opponents, on charges of “conspiracy against the government”, “insurgency movement”, “assassination” and “assassination”. acts of terrorism”.
Ten years after the violence related to Mr Ouattara’s first victory in the presidential election run by Laurent Gbagbo in 2010-2011 (approximately 3,000 deaths), violence also marked the 2020 presidential election ( 85 people died and half a thousand were injured from August to November).
Ibrahim Cissé Bacongo, executive secretary of the RHDP, praised Pascal Affi N’Guessan’s “good humour” and Alassane Ouattara’s “national sense”. “They were able to erase a lot of things between themselves, talk to each other, meet, exchange,” he added, which allowed both sides to do the same to reach this agreement.
Ahead of regional and municipal elections on September 2, Affi N’Guessan insisted the “partnership” signed on Tuesday was not “an election agreement”. “But this partnership does not prohibit meeting, where we deem necessary” at the time, he said.
