title: Philippe Mangou
text: # Philippe Mangou
  
  Philippe Mangou (born 26 January 1952) was the head of the armed forces of Ivory Coast from 2004 until 2011.
  
  ## Biography
  
  He studied law at the University of Cocody-Abidjan. In November 2004, Laurent Gbagbo made him Chef d'État Major des Armées (Chief of the Defence Staff, the ninth in the history of the country), succeeding Mathias Doue.
  
  Long loyal to Gbagbo, Mangou sought refuge in the residence of the South African ambassador on 31 March 2011, as Alassane Ouattara's forces entered Abidjan.
  
  On 4 April, however, Mangou left the South African ambassador's residence in Abidjan and rejoined the government forces. On Ouattara's TV station, Serges Alla, a journalist claimed: "Mangou was forced to leave the South African embassy because some of his relatives were made hostage by diehard supporters of Gbagbo, and Gbagbo militiamen were putting pressure on him, saying they would bomb his village if he doesn't show himself or doesn't return to the Gbagbo army."
  
  