Former Ivorian Prime Minister and ex-rebel leader Guillaume Soro has been sentenced to life in prison for “undermining state security” for acts committed in late 2019.
He was sentenced by the Abidjan court following the prosecution’s demands.
Meanwhile, the other main defendants, Souleymane Kamagate, former head of protocol of Mr. Soro, Affoussy Bamba, former minister and Toure Moussa, his former head of communication were sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Two of Guillaume Soro’s brothers and his former right-hand man Alain Lobognon were sentenced to 17 months in prison for “disturbing public order”.
The court also ordered the confiscation of the property of Guillaume Soro and his 19 co-defendants, as well as the dissolution of his movement, Générations et peuples solidaires (GPS), accused of engaging in “subversive” acts.
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The former prime minister and former president of the National Assembly was accused of having fomented with his supporters a “civil and military insurrection” aimed at overthrowing the power during his aborted return to Côte d’Ivoire in December 2019, ten months before the presidential election of October 2020.
Guillaume Soro, 49, who lives in exile, and his co-defendants were accused of “conspiracy”, “attempted attack against the authority of the state” as well as “dissemination and publication of false news discrediting the institutions and their functioning, having led to an attack on the morale of the population”.
