Former President Laurent Gbagbo has expressed his deep concern about the treatment of Henri Konan BEDIE, former President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, as well as other political figures.

He called on Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko to pacify the situation during a phone call on Wednesday.

Former President Gbagbo expressed his solidarity with the families of those kidnapped and called on all activists to maintain their serenity.

Gbagbo lives in Belgium and awaits a legal challenge to his acquittal of charges drawn up against him following deadly post-election violence in Cote d’Ivoire in 2010.