The ICC Trust Fund for Victims concluded its programme with symbolic measures and honoured, in partnership with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, the memory of the victims of the 2010–2011 post-electoral crisis

29 May 2025

The ICC Trust Fund for Victims concluded its programme with symbolic measures and honoured, in partnership with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, the memory of the victims of the 2010–2011 post-electoral crisis

On 29 and 30 May 2025, the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) at the International Criminal Court (ICC), together with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, will hold commemorative ceremonies and inaugurate two memorials in Duékoué and Blolequin to honour the victims of the 2010-2011 post-electoral crisis and to support the country’s national process of remembrance and reconciliation.

“These monuments symbolise the long journey of Duékoué’s communities since 2011. They lift the weight of the horrors we endured and witnessed. Today, what we lived through is no longer hidden. It is now known and aknowledged throughout Côte d’Ivoire. We are no longer alone in carrying the memory of the 2011 events. I feel lighter now,” said one survivor of the events that occurred in Duékoué in 2011, a beneficiary of the TFV Assistance Programme.

These two memorials build upon the initiative launched on 11 April in Abidjan with the inauguration of memorials in Abobo and Yopougon—attended by government officials and the President of the Senate—and form part of a broader effort to ensure recognition and redress under the TFV’s assistance programme. Additional memorials and community projects will be handed over to the communities of Péhé, Doké, Monoko-Zohi, Vavoua, and Fiekon Borombo in early June.

The commemorative monuments were established as symbolic reparative measures under the TFV’s assistance programme, implemented since 2021 in partnership with AVSI, DRAO, and WANEP. They were designed through a collaborative process involving Ivorian artists and communities—some of whom were once on opposing sides of the conflict—and reflect both the voices and collective healing of those most affected.

“The joy and relief we see today on the faces of victims show just how meaningful symbolic measures can be when combined with individual and collective reparative efforts such as physical, psychological, and economic rehabilitation. They are powerful tools for peace and reconciliation. They affirm the dignity of victims and help them reimagine their place within their communities and the nation,” said Franck Sohou, Coordinator of the NGO DRAO.

These ceremonies mark the conclusion of the TFV’s assistance programme in Côte d’Ivoire, which ran from February 2020 to 31 May 2025. The programme addressed the harm suffered in 13 emblematic incidents—among the most serious since 2002. More than 700 victims received medical, psychological, and material rehabilitation, while over 10,000 individuals participated in collective measures and activities.

“The true measure of this programme’s success lies in the participatory and dignified process through which the memorials were created—ensuring that victims were meaningfully recognised and their experiences honoured,” said Mr. Andres Parmas, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV).

The TFV extends its sincere gratitude to the authorities of Côte d’Ivoire — particularly the Ministry of National Cohesion, Solidarity, and the Fight Against Poverty — for their engagement throughout the programme’s implementation. We are also deeply thankful to our implementing partners—AVSI, DRAO, and WANEP— whose dedication enabled community-based activities that centred victims’ needs and honoured their voices and choices

This Trust Fund’s assistance programme marks a significant milestone, paving the way for a broader effort that must be continued. Many victims of other incidents from the same period are still awaiting acknowledgement and the return of the remains of their loved ones.

While the ICC Office of the Prosecutor continues its investigations into the situation in Côte d’Ivoire, the pursuit of justice and redress must also advance at the national level. We call on the Ivorian authorities to continue their efforts to ensure that no victim is left behind.”

In line with the principle of complementarity, the TFV remains committed to supporting Côte d’Ivoire in this vital work of remembrance and redress. It calls on the government to continue advancing national cohesion efforts, including the establishment of a national memorial—as expressed by the government during the National Security Council meeting on 22 February 2024—and to continue delivering reparative measures to victims.

For more information about the Trust Fund for Victims, please contact trustfundforvictims@icc-cpi.int or visit www.trustfundforvictims.org. You can also follow TFV’s activities on X, LinkedIn, Bluesky and Facebook.

 
Background information 
 
Côte d’Ivoire accepted the jurisdiction of the ICC in 2003, via an article 12.3 declaration, and is a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC since 2013.

The ICC has jurisdiction in the situation in Côte d'Ivoire, with respect to alleged crimes committed between 19 September 2002 and 28 November 2010, as well as with regard to crimes that may be committed in the future in the context of this situation. Since 2011, the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC has conducted investigations on alleged crimes against humanity committed during the 2010/2011 post-electoral violence in Côte d'Ivoire documenting large scale acts resulting in the displacement of approximately 1 million people. The attacks included widespread and systematic acts against the civilian population, excessive force used in heavily populated areas in order to disperse protesters, widespread arbitrary arrests, "disappearances" and incidents of rape as well as the existence of several mass graves. To date, the investigations have resulted in three cases that were either acquitted or vacated in 2021. The investigation of the Office of the Prosecutor remains ongoing.

In parallel to the investigations and judicial proceedings, prior to the judicial developments, and in response to the harm suffered by victims in the situation, the Trust Fund for Victims initiated a programme benefitting individuals and communities affected by the most emblematic incidents that took place between 2002 and 2011. The TFV Programme in Côte d’Ivoire is implemented across Abidjan and the western regions and is delivered in partnership with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and the organisations WANEP, AVSI, and DRAO. Since 2021, the programme has provided medical, psychological, and socio-economic rehabilitation to over 700 victims and has conducted collective measures benefiting more than 10,000 individuals. The programme also comprised the construction of six memorials installed across the country, which reflect in their design and symbolism, the voices and needs of victims and their communities.

These commemorative ceremonies are part of the last measures that to be delivered before the closure of TFV programme activities, which will formally end on 31 May 2025.