Laurent Gbagbo Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Laurent Koudou Gbagbo (born May 31, 1945) is the president of Côte d'Ivoire (since 2000).From Gagnoa, he was professor of English at the University of Cocody-Abidjan, and later dean of the faculty of Languages and Cultures. He founded the Ivoirian Popular Front (Front populaire ivoirien) in 1982, but went into exile in France in 1985. He returned in 1988.
Gbagbo ran in the presidential election of 1990, but received only 11% of the vote against the country's veteran leader, Félix Houphouët-Boigny. He later became minister of education as a member of the FPI. He ran for president against the military ruler Robert Guéï in the elections of October 22, 2000; when Guéï claimed victory, a popular revolt in favor of Gbagbo (who claimed he had actually won with 59.4% of the vote) broke out in the capital, Abidjan. Guéï was forced to flee, and Gbagbo became president on October 26.
On September 19, 2002, rebellious soldiers attempted to seize the cities of Abidjan, Bouake, and Korhogo. They failed to take Abijdan, but were successful in the other two, respectively in the center and north of the country. The situation quickly developed into a civil war between a government-held south and a rebel-held north, but after several months of fighting a peace agreement was reached and French peacekeepers arrived to patrol a cease-fire line. According to the terms of the agreement, Gbagbo would remain in office (the rebels had previously demanded his resignation), but a new unity government would be formed under a "neutral" prime minister, including the FPI, the civilian opposition and representatives of the rebel groups. The agreement has been opposed by many of the president's supporters, who believe too many concessions are being granted to the rebels and that the French are supporting the rebels' political objectives.
See also: Politics of Côte d'Ivoire
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