In her recent book titled “From the Republic’s Underbelly to Restoration,” Simone Gbagbo, the former First Lady of Ivory Coast, speaks about Mamadou Koulibaly and also about her detention at the Golf Hotel after the post-election crisis of 2011.
In the 400-page interview-style book, there is a captivating chapter in which she engages in discussions with various personalities, notably with Mamadou Koulibaly, who served as the President of the National Assembly of Ivory Coast during the administration of her former husband, Laurent Gbagbo.
In Chapters 57 and 58 of her book, the president of the Movement of Capable Generations (MGC) recounts an intriguing encounter with Mamadou Koulibaly during her detention at the Golf Hotel. Specifically, she mentions Mamadou Koulibaly and Deputy Brissi Claude as among those who arrived. Simone Gbagbo continues by detailing the surprising remarks that Koulibaly expressed during their meeting: “He announced that he had returned for the parliamentary session and that he intended to invite Alassane Ouattara to the National Assembly, in order to give him the opportunity to explain his intentions after the recent events the country had experienced.”
The testimony of the former deputy of Abobo portrays an intense moment. In her account, she states being taken aback by Koulibaly’s visit and remarks. He was caught off guard when he revealed his intentions to invite Alassane Ouattara to the National Assembly to present his post-crisis plans. She admits that her astonishment was so great that she was left speechless and unable to react: “I was so surprised that my gaze remained fixed on him. Breath taken away, I couldn’t, and didn’t want to, add anything.”
Subsequently, the conversation took a reserved turn, with the visitors withdrawing to an adjacent room to exchange words with President Laurent Gbagbo. Simone Gbagbo was never informed of the content of this conversation, leaving a mystery regarding the topics discussed between the two political figures.
Ultimately, Simone Gbagbo’s captivating book titled “From the Republic’s Underbelly to Restoration” offers fascinating revelations to all about the discussions and political dynamics that unfolded behind the scenes during this tumultuous period in the history of Ivory Coast.
