Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, according to several sources, completed the formalities in Belgium on Monday, for obtaining a diplomatic passport.
Following the statements of President Alassane Ouattara on RFI and France 24, who, a few days before the presidential election, had said he was in favor of the handing over of a passport, this step could relaunch this procedure, started in July, with his possible return to Cote d’Ivoire in the firing line.
A mobile team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs travelled to Brussels to carry out this administrative procedure. According to a diplomatic source, this took place on Monday morning at 10:00 in a large hotel in the Belgian capital.
Laurent Gbagbo was accompanied by his wife Nady Bamba and his personal lawyer, a source said. His fingerprints were taken. As well as documents useful for this procedure. Technically, this is an enrolment.
If Abidjan assures that the establishment of the diplomatic passport could take a few days, the entourage of the former president remains him, more cautious. “No date of delivery of the passport has been communicated,” said a relative. “Everything has already been done since July, nothing justifies such long delays,” continued this source, which notes however that this time, Laurent Gbagbo was given a receipt attesting to the request for renewal of his passport.