Abidjan – Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has once again revealed that during his time in office, he donated 2 billion CFA francs (approximately 3 million euros) to former French President Jacques Chirac.
This admission adds further weight to longstanding claims that several African leaders regularly provided financial contributions to France.
Robert Bourgi, a special political advisor on African affairs in France, had previously disclosed that it was common practice for African presidents to send millions of euros to Paris. In an interview with the French magazine L’Express, Bourgi, who is of Franco-Lebanese descent and was born in Senegal, stated that for over three decades he maintained close relationships with key leaders in French-speaking Africa, including Gbagbo and other prominent figures like Félix Houphouët-Boigny (Ivory Coast), Mobutu Sese Seko (Democratic Republic of Congo), and Denis Sassou-Nguesso (Congo Brazzaville). According to Bourgi, these leaders collectively sent at least 10 million euros to France before each election, in what he described as covert operations to maintain political favour.
Despite the monetary donations, France’s allegiance quickly shifted in 2011 when Gbagbo’s presidency was contested by Alassane Ouattara following a disputed election. The French government threw its support behind Ouattara, and in the midst of the ensuing conflict, French troops intervened on the ground in Ivory Coast. Though France has consistently denied direct involvement in Gbagbo’s arrest, it is widely believed that French troops played a decisive role in the events leading to his downfall. Gbagbo was taken into custody and later transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he faced charges of war crimes. He was acquitted in 2019 and subsequently released.
Gbagbo’s financial support to France raises questions about the nature of his relationship with the French government. While the donations appeared to secure good relations at the time, tensions arose when Gbagbo began pushing for the nationalisation of French banks and advocated for the abolition of the French-controlled CFA franc currency. This, according to some analysts, marked a turning point, with France allegedly seeking his removal from power as a result.
The story highlights the complex and often murky financial and political ties between France and its former African colonies, where support and loyalty can quickly shift depending on strategic interests.
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