Côte d’Ivoire

Civitas Maxima’s work on Côte d’Ivoire

Côte d’Ivoire has suffered two major political crises during which international crimes were committed. The first occurred in 2002, following a failed coup attempt, after which government forces and rebel groups carried out killings, often targeting civilians based on their ethnicity, the region they are from, or their suspected political ties. Serious violations committed by both sides continued until the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement in 2007.

Inmates in Prison Yard

The second political crisis occurred between November 2010 and May 2011, during which time the country was in turmoil following the contested presidential election between Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara. Both candidates claimed victory, which led to fierce fighting between their forces, and widespread violations of human rights and humanitarian law targeting civilians.

Since 2002, thousands of civilians have been killed, tortured, injured, or raped. Some managed to flee abroad to save their lives. Throughout the years that followed, meaningful redress for these victims has largely remained out of reach. Alassane Ouattara was re-elected president in 2025 for a fourth consecutive term.

From the International Criminal Court to now 

Côte d’Ivoire has ratified numerous human rights treaties and conventions, establishing a formal framework for accountability. Within this framework, the International Criminal Court (ICC) holds jurisdiction over international crimes listed in the Rome Statute committed on Ivorian territory or by its nationals from 19 September 2002 to the present. While the situation in Côte d’Ivoire remains open before the ICC, no new investigations have been made public since the acquittal of Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé. Initially charged with crimes against humanity, they both were acquitted, thereby bringing the case to a close, in March 2021 due to insufficient evidence.

A lack of accountability at the international level is made worse by the unwillingness to address the past at the domestic level.  In August 2018, Côte d’Ivoire adopted an amnesty law addressing the 2010–2011 post-electoral violence. Hundreds of individuals accused or convicted of offences committed during that period have benefitted from this law. Among them, Simone Gbagbo, the ex-partner of Laurent Gbagbo, who is herself involved in Ivorian politics. She was moreover subject of an ICC arrest warrant until 2021, which related to crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the post-electoral crisis of 2010-2011.

Avenues for redress were further restricted when in April 2020 the country withdrew the possibility for individuals and NGOs to submit cases to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, narrowing the mechanisms through which victims can seek justice.

Together, these developments illustrate the complex and constrained accountability landscape in Côte d’Ivoire.