Ex-President Laurent Gbagbo arrives in Ivory Coast after acquittal on war crimes charges

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) – Former President Laurent Gbagbo has returned home to Ivory Coast a decade after his refusal to concede defeat in an election sparked months of violence that left more than 3,000 people dead. Gbagbo was extradited to the International Criminal Court at The Hague in 2011 and spent eight years awaiting trial on war crimes charges. A judge acquitted him in 2019, saying prosecutors had failed to prove their case. The verdict was upheld in late March, clearing the way for Gbagbo to leave Belgium and return to Ivory Coast on Thursday.