Former Ivorian President, Laurent Gbagbo is expected to return to the country for the first time since he was arrested and handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in November 2011 for his role in the 2010-2011 post-election crisis.

Mr Gbagbo was acquitted of all charges on 15 January 2019 and the ICC upheld the acquittal in March 2021. His flight from Brussels is scheduled to land in Abidjan at 15:45 GMT Today.

Ivorian authorities have promised that he will be received “with all the honors due to a former head of state”. Mr Gbagbo’s return is expected to be a boost for his party, the Ivorian Popular Front, which has been beset by division for several years now.

His political ambitions are unclear but he could play an important role as an opposition leader. Victims of the post-election crisis have vowed to protest his return.