Martin Kouakou Fofié

Martin Fofié Kouakou (1968 – 9 August 2026) was an Ivorian military official. Originally a zone commander in the Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire who oversaw the city of Korhogo, he was appointed to the Armed Forces of the Republic of Ivory Coast by Alassane Ouattara in 2011. At the time of his death, he was a Colonel-Major and commander of the Second Military Region in Daloa.

Fofié remained a popular figure in Korhogo and was seen as a protector of the city, though he had a reputation for violence and, in 2006, was placed under sanction by the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee for Cote d'Ivoire; his forces were accused of abduction, recruiting child soldiers, sexual abuse, and extrajudicial killings.

Career Early career, participation in 1999 coup and 2001 coup attempt Fofié, born in 1968, was from Appimandoum, in the Bondoukou Department. He joined the Armed Forces of the Republic of Ivory Coast in the 1980s as a private, He participated in the 1999 Ivorian coup d'état, which resulted in the removal of President Henri Konan Bédié from office, and, subsequently, the 2001 Ivorian coup attempt against Laurent Gbagbo. The coup attempt was unsuccessful and resulted in Fofié's imprisonment and torture in cell 110 of the Fansara prison. He was released in 2002. and was appointed to their chief of security in Korhogo, in zone 10. Diarrassouba, an ally of Coulibaly, was ousted from leadership and, under pressure from traditional cantonal chief Coulibaly Drissa Douanier, the FN appointed Fofié as the new leader of zone 10. He had a reputation as a violent man, as did previous leaders; however, previous leaders had often provided little tangible benefit for the people of Korhogo. Fofié was placed under sanction by the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee for Cote d'Ivoire in 2006; his forces were accused of abduction, recruiting child soldiers, sexual abuse, and extrajudicial killings.

In 2009, he was the only zone commander to attend the ceremony in Bouaké symbolically transferring power to the prefecture governments.

Reintegration into the army After the reunification of Ivory Coast following the 2010-2011 crisis and subsequent civil war, Fofié was appointed by President Ouattara to the Ivorian military, at the rank of lieutenant colonel; he was promoted to such a high rank because of the work he had done to help Ouattara into power and was charged with overseeing Gbagbo's eight month stay in a Korhogo safehouse before he was taken to The Hague for prosecution by the International Criminal Court. Fofié's appointment was criticised by the Human Rights Watch because of the outstanding allegations of human rights abuses against him; Daniel Bekele, executive director of the organization's African division, said:

Fofié maintained close ties to armed groups and the elite and people of Korhogo, even after his re-integration into the Ivorian military. He attended social events, made frequent visits, distributed food and money to Korhogo residents, and assisted the Dozo hunters against the rise of bandits in the area. He also assisted ex-FN soldiers who had not been re-integrated into the military; his reputation made it easier for those who had worked for him to live in Korhogo and he gave houses to some ex-combatants. Those houses also functioned as safe houses and weapons storage for Fofié; it was estimated that, in 2013, he had amassed as much weaponry as the national army. He agreed to a transfer in 2016 or 2017, and he became a Colonel-Major and commander of the Second Military Region in the city. and was known to use violence against opponents.

In common speech, he was referred to by his military title. Officially named Womiengnon, and commonly known in French as , the refurbished centre opened on 18 February 2006 in a ceremony attended by the local elite.

Personal life and death Fofié was married and had children.

He was a collector of works by the Ivorian artist Sapero de Farafina.