Editing Laurent Gbagbo (section)

==Post-Civil War==

The peace agreement effectively collapsed in early November 2004 following elections that critics claimed were undemocratic and the rebels' subsequent refusal to disarm. During an airstrike in Bouaké on 6 November 2004, nine French soldiers were killed. While the Ivorian government has claimed the attack on the French soldiers was accidental,<ref>Sengupta, Somini (7 November 2004) [https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/07/international/africa/07ivory.html "Ivory Coast Violence Flares; 9 French and 1 U.S. Death"] ''The New York Times''</ref> French governmental sources claimed it was deliberate and responded by [[2004 French–Ivorian clashes|destroying most Ivorian military aircraft]].<ref>Navarro, N. and Gnanih, A-H. (14 June 2008) [http://www.france24.com/en/20080614-ivory-coast-bernard-kouchner-gbabgo-france&navi=AFRIQUE "French foreign minister's visit is first since 2003"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520122915/http://www.france24.com/en/20080614-ivory-coast-bernard-kouchner-gbabgo-france%26navi%3DAFRIQUE |date=20 May 2011 }} ''France 24 International News''</ref><ref>[http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49576&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=COTE_D_IVOIRE "UN endorses plan to leave president in office beyond mandate"], IRIN, 14 October 2005.</ref>

With the late October deadline approaching in 2006, it was regarded as very unlikely that the election would in fact be held by that point, and the opposition and the rebels rejected the possibility of another term extension for Gbagbo.<ref>Joe Bavier, [http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-08-18-voa13.cfm "Ivory Coast Opposition, Rebels Say No to Term Extension for President"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060824210541/http://voanews.com/english/2006-08-18-voa13.cfm |date=24 August 2006 }}, VOA News, 18 August 2006.</ref> The UN Security Council endorsed another one-year extension of Gbagbo's term on 1 November 2006; to not forget, many of the rebels held their guns and were prepared to advance again, however, the resolution provided for the strengthening of Prime Minister [[Charles Konan Banny]]'s powers. Gbagbo said the next day that elements of the resolution deemed to be constitutional violations would not be applied.<ref>[http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56232&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=COTE_D_IVOIRE "Partial rejection of UN peace plan"], IRIN, 2 November 2006.</ref>

A peace deal between the government and the rebels, or [[Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire|New Forces]], was signed on 4 March 2007, in [[Ouagadougou]], Burkina Faso, and subsequently [[Guillaume Soro]], leader of the New Forces, became prime minister.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/04/africa/AF-GEN-Ivory-Coast-Prime-Minister.php "Former rebel leader takes over as Ivory Coast's prime minister"], Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), 4 April 2007.</ref><ref name=Boost>[http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20070412095335190C984275 "New Ivory Coast govt 'a boost for Gbagbo'"], AFP (''IOL''), 12 April 2007.</ref> Those events were seen by some observers as substantially strengthening Gbagbo's position.<ref name=Boost/>

Gbagbo visited the north for the first time since the outbreak of the war for a disarmament ceremony, the "peace flame", on 30 July 2007. This ceremony involved burning weapons to symbolize the end of the conflict.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6921585.stm "Ivory Coast leaders burn weapons"], BBC News, 30 July 2007.</ref><ref name=Zone>[http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=38365 "Côte d'Ivoire: Gbagbo en zone rebelle pour prôner la paix et des élections rapides"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930183623/http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=38365 |date=30 September 2007 }}, AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), 30 July 2007 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> At the ceremony, Gbagbo declared the war over and said that the country should move quickly to elections, which were then planned for early 2008.<ref name=Zone/>

On 30 August 2008, Gbagbo was designated the FPI's candidate for the [[2008 Ivorian presidential election|November 2008 presidential election]] at a party congress; he was the only candidate for the FPI nomination.<ref>[http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i2MYEqJ7oQPSukeY8PyPewuaknbQ "I Coast President Gbagbo wins party nomination for November poll"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520164510/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i2MYEqJ7oQPSukeY8PyPewuaknbQ |date=20 May 2011 }}, AFP, 30 August 2008.</ref> The presidential election was again postponed to 2010.