The bodies of 47 victims of Côte d’Ivoire’s 2010-2011 post-election violence were handed over to their families Wednesday as part of the national reconciliation process initiated by President Alassane Ouattara.

Ouattara’s victory in the presidential election was contested by the outgoing Laurent Gbagbo, leading to several months of violence that left 3,000 dead on both sides.

The bodies were returned to their relatives, who also received 2,200 euros ($2,300) in compensation from the government.

“Today, we have come to heal our wounds and turn the page on war”, Kouadio Konan Bertin, the country’s minister of national reconciliation, said at a ceremony in the western town of Blolequin.

Ivorian NGOs on Wednesday hailed the development as “an important step forward”, but called for greater efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.

Gbagbo’s return to the country in 2021 and his acquittal by the International Criminal Court have eased political tensions in the country.