Ivory Coast: Charles Blé Goudé begs Laurent Gbagbo for forgiveness
The president of COJEP, Charles Blé Goudé, gave an emotional testimony on NCI on November 24, 2025, publicly calling for forgiveness for his former mentor, Laurent Gbagbo. A guest on the show La Quotidienne, the former leader of the Jeunesse patriotique spoke about the split that broke their relationship. “I’m hurting over my separation from President Gbagbo “, he confided.
After three years of silence in the face of accusations of treason, Blé Goudé chose to speak out. He says the distance between him and Gbagbo is the result of a “corridor” put in place around the former head of state, preventing any contact. According to him, his numerous attempts to reconnect — approaches to religious, political and customary leaders — have been in vain.
The former ICC detainee says he does not understand what he is being accused of and recalls that he has always protected Gbagbo. “I think I can still do a lot for him”, he says. Despite the criticism he has faced since his return to Côte d’Ivoire, he says he is determined to rejoin the pro-Gbagbo political family and calls for unity from a fragmented Ivorian left. He specifically mentioned Damana Pickass, Boubacar Koné and Lida, urging the various factions to come together.
In conclusion, Blé Goudé apologized to Laurent Gbagbo: “I ask President Gbagbo for forgiveness if I offended him.” It remains to be seen whether this call for reconciliation will find an echo in Gbagbo’s camp, while the left remains deeply divided.
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