AFP - Former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo has "insisted he had to heal the wounds" of Côte d'Ivoire, told journalists on Monday the South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, after meeting Mr.Gbagbo in Korhogo (north), in his house arrest.
"We had a brief but cordial exchange, we were pleased to note that former President (Laurent Gbagbo) has expressed the desire to see the country return to normalcy," said Archbishop Tutu, after meeting the president fallen for 45 minutes.
The archbishop was with the former Secretary General Kofi Annan and former President of Ireland and former High Commissioner for Human Rights UN, Mary Robinson.
"In his speech (Mr.Gbagbo) has insisted that he had to heal the wounds of the country. That's what we came to encourage. As you have seen, he looks healthy, he told us himself. He looks relaxed and he requested a Bible, "said the Nobel Prize for Peace.
It is the first known visit by officials from Mr.Gbagbo since he is under house arrest in Korhogo.
Dressed in a blue shirt and black pants, smiling, the former president shook hands with three members of the group known as Elders (Elders) and told them "thank you for coming," noted a AFP, while the press had been allowed to attend the beginning of the meeting.
Promoting "healing and reconciliation"
Members of the Elders arrived Sunday in Abidjan with the objective of promoting "healing and reconciliation in Cote d'Ivoire after a post-election crisis more than four months resulted in the arrest of Lawrence Gbagbo came to power and Alassane Ouattara, who won the election on November 28.
Arrested with his wife Simone and a hundred people and detained at the Golf Hotel in Abidjan, the headquarters of Mr. Ouattara, M.Gbagbo was transferred on April 13 in Korhogo, where he has been under house arrest.
His wife, for his part was transferred April 22 to Odienné (northwest).
The hearings by the Ivorian justice the former head of state, his wife and about 200 former officials of his regime under house arrest throughout the country to begin Wednesday.
However, the Ivorian Minister of Justice Ahoussou Jeannot Kouadio, who also made the trip on Monday in Korhogo, told AFP that the date of commencement of the hearing of the former president was "not certain" Mr. Gbagbo himself has said that its lawyers were "not available".
The deposed head of state is accused of being responsible for abuses, extortion and incitement to hatred.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in more than four months of crisis and fighting in Ivory Coast, authorities said.The United Nations reports, more than 1,000 dead.
