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Former Ivory Coast President Gbagbo.
Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo rallied supporters in Abidjan on Saturday criticizing incumbent President Alassane Ouattara’s bid for a fourth term ahead of October’s presidential election.
Gbagbo, leader of the African People’s Party of Cote d’Ivoire (PPA-CI), addressed a large crowd of chanting supporters, many holding posters with his image. Banners opposing Ouattara’s re-election attempt were prominently displayed.
Gbagbo, along with former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, is barred from running in the upcoming election due to criminal convictions related to the country’s 2010-2011 post-election crisis.
Last month, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights rejected petitions from both Gbagbo and Soro challenging their exclusion from the electoral process.
The decision has further complicated Ivory Coast’s political landscape, with several opposition figures unable to contest the October 25 vote.
