Cote d’Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara has awarded presidential pardons to 51 civilians and military personnel guilty of crimes committed during the post-election crises and compromising national security, including General Dogbo Blé Brunot and Koné Kamaraté Souleymane, according to Soul To Soul. When Guillaume Kigbafori Soro was Prime Minister and President of the National Assembly, the latter served as his head of protocol. When General Dogbo Bruno was in charge of the Republican Guard under Laurent Gbagbo.
Fidèle Sarassoro, the executive secretary of the Security Council (CNS), announced these steps on Thursday, February 22, 2024, following the final communiqué of a meeting led by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.
“The President of the Republic has granted presidential pardons to civilians and military personnel convicted of post-election crises and undermining state security, as part of his commitment to consolidating peace in the country.” Dogo Blé Bruno, Gnatoa Katet Paulin, Kassé kouamé Jean Baptiste, and Koné Kamarate Souleymane are among the 51 people who have been pardoned, according to Mr. Sarassoro. Several of them are connected to Guillaume Soro.
Furthermore, according to the press release, the President of the Republic has directed the Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice, to make appropriate arrangements with the prosecution for the provisional release of six people in preventive detention as part of the procedures related to the aforementioned offences (attack on state security).
“The Head of State directed the Prime Minister to take immediate action to erect a memorial in tribute to the victims of the serious crises that our country has faced in recent years,” Mr. Sarassoro stated.
Continuing, he stated that this commemorative monument, in addition to serving as a site of recollection, wants to inspire every Ivorian man and woman to fight tirelessly for peace so that such crimes do not occur again in Côte d’Ivoire.