Rights groups and the United Nations have alleged that forces backing both Gbagbo and Ouattara committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the crisis and say both sides should face justice.
The ICC’s Bensouda said Saturday: “This is not the end of our work in (Ivory Coast) … we will collect more evidence, and as warranted, bring further cases before the ICC judges without fear or favour, and irrespective of sides or political affiliation of the perpetrators.”
Ble Goude’s lawyer on Saturday said Ivorian investigators had presented little evidence against his client.
“We are respectful of the law, but we are not afraid,” he told AFP.
Ble Goude himself told AFP in a 2012 interview that he did not fear going to the ICC.
“I am not an advocate of weapons, I never maintained a single militia. If the ICC wants to invite me for having organised protest marches, I have no problem appearing before the ICC,” he said.
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