Ex-President Laurent Gbagbo arrives in Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Former President Laurent Gbagbo returned home to Ivory Coast on Thursday, a decade after his refusal to concede defeat in the presidential election sparked months of violence that left more than 3,000 people dead.

Gbagbo was extradited to the International Criminal Court at The Hague in 2011 and spent eight years awaiting trial on war crimes charges. A judge acquitted him in 2019, saying prosecutors had failed to prove their case. The verdict was appealed but upheld in late March, clearing the way for Gbagbo to leave Belgium where he had spent the past two years.

After making his way down the steps to the runway, Gbagbo was escorted to a VIP hall, where he was greeted by political allies and his wife, Simone. She did not attend his trial at The Hague because the ICC also had issued a warrant for her arrest on charges related to the post-election violence.

While the government led by his then-rival President Alassane Ouattara has allowed for Gbagbo’s return to Ivorian soil, there were already concerns about what role the divisive former leader may play in national politics.

Gbagbo's supporters began arriving near the airport at 6 a.m., long before the ex-president had even boarded his flight in Brussels. Tensions between the jubilant crowds and security forces were high, with tear gas being used to disperse people coming to greet Gbagbo.

The ex-president made no comment to journalists before getting into a vehicle to depart the airport. Officials from his political party had said he planned to make a tour of Abidjan to visit supporters in his strongholds, but it was not immediately clear how his flight’s delayed arrival might affect those plans.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) —...