Former President Laurent Gbagbo has returned to Côte d'Ivoire for the first time since his arrest nearly 10 years ago following his acquittal by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The 76-year-old arrived in the country's economic hub, Abidjan, on Thursday on a commercial flight from the Belgian capital, with a small number of supporters who were allowed into the airport cheering as the Brussels Airlines flight landed.

Gbagbo, who was in power since 2000, was sent to The Hague-based court in 2011 after some 3,000 people were killed in a months-long conflict that followed his refusal to accept electoral defeat at the hands of incumbent President Alassane Ouattara.

He was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, but was acquitted by the ICC in 2019. Judges upheld the ruling earlier this year, paving the way for his return on Thursday.

News agencies said that, the situation in the city was "quite tense" in the hours before his arrival as many Gbagbo supporters eager to welcome him tried to approach the site.

(With input from agencies)