Cote d'Ivoire: Gbagbo Pleads Not Guilty At ICC

Former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo pleaded "not guilty" to four charges of crimes against humanity on Thursday. Gbago made the plea as his high-profile trial at the International Criminal Court opened his

morning, five years after devastating post-election violence in Cote d'Ivoire

Ggagbo and his former youth and education minister and leader of the Youth Patriots, a pro-Gbagbo militia group, Charles Blé Goudé, are both being tried for the same crimes that took place in the post-electoral violence in 2010 and early 2011.

The charges were initially made against Gbagbo, but given that Goudé is also accused of the same crimes as his 'mentor', it was decided that the two men should be tried together.

They are both charged on four counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, inhumane acts and persecution.

The crimes date back to presidential elections in early November 2010 that went to a second round. Based on results declared by the electoral commission and confirmed by the United Nations, Alassane Ouattara won.

However, supporters of Gbagbo and his party, the FPI, claimed the results were fraudulent.

On the back of that, the Constitutional Council declared Gbagbo the winner having claimed 51.45% of votes. It also invalidated the results that had already been verified by the UN and the electoral commission.

The decision divaded the country. By 18 December, 2010, Gbagbo had kicked the UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire out of the country along with French forces that had been there since 2004.

The regional bloc - Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) - threatened to bring down Gbagbo if he did not agree to step down and hand over the presidency to Ouattara.

The following four events took place in the post-electoral peroid before French forces, working with Ouattara, arrested Gbagbo on 11 April, 2011.

These are the four main events that the prosecution at the ICC is basing its case on:

violence that broke out during pro-Ouattara protests near the station of RTI (Radiodiffusion Television Ivorien) between the 16 and 19 December 2010.

the women's pro-Ouattara protest in Abobo on 3 March 2011.

the bombing of a market in Abobo on 17 March 2011; and an attack in Yopougon around the 12 April 2011.

Violence committed by supporters of both parties led to the death of some 3000 people during this period, with over 150 women being raped.

Fatou Bensouda, the ICC prosecutor, and her team have spent the past four years combing all evidence to show Gbagbo planned and gave the green light to those in his inner circle who carried out much of the violence during those events.

She says they have 138 witnesses, as well as 5,300 elements of proof along with 522 hours of recording to present.

The defense team will have to prove that Gbagbo had no prior knowledge of the planning of, and commiting of atrocities committed by his inner circle.