Charles Blé Goudé's return to Côte d'Ivoire should not overshadow the need to continue reparations for victims of the post-election crisis

The Hague, Abidjan, 26 November 2022 - Acquitted by the International Criminal Court on 31 March 2021 on all charges of crimes against humanity for which he was prosecuted, Charles Blé Goudé, who has been residing in the Netherlands, returns to Côte d'Ivoire today. The International Criminal Court's Trust Fund for Victims believes that this return, which marks a symbolic moment in the judicial aftermath of the post-election crisis, should not cause victims of the crimes committed in 2010-11 to lose sight of their expectations, particularly with regard to reparations.

"Nearly ten years after his arrest, the return of Charles Blé Goudé, free since the Court's final decision in March 2021, is a page that is being turned. However, this does not mean that the liabilities of the post-electoral crisis have been settled: on the one hand, a significant number of victims of the crimes committed during this period continue to await reparations for the harm they suffered; and on the other hand, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court continues its investigations into the situation in Côte d'Ivoire," said Ibrahim Sorie Yillah, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims of the International Criminal Court.

Since 2015, following the work of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the State of Côte d'Ivoire has initiated a compensation program for victims of the crisis. To date, more than 4,400 dependents of people killed during the crisis, are now beneficiaries, and have received compensation and nearly 2,000 people have received medical care. Much remains to be done, however, given the magnitude of the crimes committed in 2010-11, but also in the previous decade. On the National Days of Peace, Remembrance and Forgiveness celebrated on November 15, Prime Minister Patrick Achi reiterated the government's desire to pursue these measures, announcing in particular that all the victims of Duékoué, a city particularly affected by the post-electoral crisis, would benefit from them rapidly.

"When serious human rights violations have been committed, reparations are not simply a legitimate demand of those who have suffered, they are above all a right for the victims and a legal obligation for the states concerned. Beyond the law, reparations, both individual, collective and symbolic, are also a powerful means of contributing to peacebuilding and reconciliation, by recognizing the status of victims and allowing them to project themselves back into their community and national community," said Minou Tavárez Mirabal, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims of the International Criminal Court.

In Côte d'Ivoire, the Trust Fund for Victims assistance programme complements the government action, and addresses the harm suffered by victims of fifteen serious and emblematic incidents that occurred between 2002 and 2011. In addition to individual medical, psychological, and/or socioeconomic support, the Trust Fund for Victims conducts community and symbolic reparations activities, such as the ceremonies organized in Duékoué with the Ministry of Reconciliation and National Cohesion on the occasion of the Days of Peace, Remembrance, and Forgiveness. The Trust Fund for Victims collaborates with its implementing partners; AVSI Foundation, DRAO, and WANEP, and is supported by an advisory committee composed of ten victims' organizations and Ivorian civil society.

For more information about the Trust Fund for Victims in Côte d’Ivoire , please contact:

Aude Le Goff : aude.legoff@icc-cpi.int ; +225 07 68 76 14 95 ; Antonin Rabecq : antonin.rabecq@ic-cpi.int ; +225 07 07 83 91 56

For general information about the TFV, please contact: trustfundforvictims@icc-cpi.int  or visit: www.trustfundforvictims.org