Gadji Céli Saint-Joseph, former President of the Board of Directors of the Ivorian Bureau of Copyright (BURIDA), has officially put an end to his exile in France by returning to Côte d’Ivoire.
After 12 years in exile, Minister of Reconciliation and National Cohesion, Kouadio Konan Bertin, also known as KKB, received the former captain of the Ivorian national football team, who won the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal. During his speech, the former athlete and singer expressed his gratitude to the President of the Republic for pursuing a policy in favor of reconciliation and national cohesion, with the return of exiles as a priority.
Gadji Céli assured that he and his former teammates from the 1992 squad, as well as the champions of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, have an important role to play alongside the younger generations. “I am pleased that the State recognizes that the 1992 and 2015 generations can contribute significantly to reconciliation and social cohesion, just as we did when we won the two African Cups. We are ready to fully play our role as their elders for the final victory, which symbolizes the regained unity within the Ivorian people,” he declared.
Furthermore, the Minister of Reconciliation and National Cohesion emphasized that those who wish to return to their country have the opportunity to do so. “I believe that if we eliminate the resentments of the past and replace them with love for one another in our hearts, everything becomes possible because nothing can withstand a united nation.”
