Ex-Ivorian officials return home after decade in exile

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Mello and Mangly at the Airport in Abijan[photo: Benjamin Tegbeh/LPR News]

The former Director General of customs Alphonse Mangly and the former Director General of the National Bureau of Technical Studies and Development Ahoua Don Mello returned to Abidjan on Saturday, after 10 years in exile.

The two personalities, confidant of former President Laurent Gbagbo  left Cote d’Ivoire in 2011 during the Ivorian post-election crisis.

 Mr. Alphonse Mangly, upon his arrival at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport, was briefly held in the Police custody where he was later released by the same day by 12noon.

Images on social media over the weekend show how Mr. Alphonse Mangly was arrested.

 However, Cllr. Ange Rodrigue Dadjé, a lawyer for Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, wife of Former President Gbagbo said in a Facebook post “there has been no arrest.

“there has been no arrest regarding the return of the political exiles this morning at Abidjan Airport rest assured, there were no arrests”. He said.

“ Mr. Mangly was not arrested and left the Abidjan Airport free. like Minister Don Mello “,  Cllr. Ange Rodrigue Dadjé added.

The former head of Ivorian customs was in exile in Ghana, while Mr. Ahoua Don Mello was in Guinea.  

Other former Government Officials who also  return include Mr. Kouamé Kouakou and Guillaume Gogon. They  were all  welcomed at the headquarters of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI, opposition), in Cocody, Abidjan.

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