Born at Gogobro in Divo Department, Yao N'Dré is a member of the Dida ethnic group. He worked as a law professor and was active in Gbagbo's political party, the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), for years. During Gbagbo's presidency, he was elected to the National Assembly as an FPI candidate in the December 2000–January 2001 parliamentary election and served in the government as Minister of the Interior. In the immediate aftermath of the September 2002–January 2003 civil war, he was no longer a minister in the government, but he remained influential and was considered part of Gbagbo's personal circle of advisers. He eventually became the FPI's National Secretary for Justice and Human Rights.