Hundreds of homes have been demolished by authorities in Abidjan in what authorities’ claim are concerns over public health.
The government says over 300 people have been killed since 2005 and officials say the suburbs along the coast are always a nursery for water-borne and other diseases.
Demolitions in low-income neighbourhoods are not new in the country’s major city but it is the magnitude of this one that has generated concerns.
The exercise targeted the impoverished communities within the Gesco and Sebroko districts and hundreds of thousands have been rendered homeless since the demolitions began in January.
Those who are affected this time, however say it was carried out without any prior notice or any form of compensation
Many African governments are notoriously unable to contain population explosions in cities and meet growing infrastructure needs. Chimezie Anajama, a policy researcher and founder of Blooming Social Pen development nonprofit, says only few administrations have managed to solve the developmental problem.
“There must be a strong commitment by different African governments to come up with creative solutions to address the infrastructure gaps in African cities,” Anajama said.
The City authorities have justified the demolitions, saying affected families are being relocated to more conducive places. “All displaced people will receive the necessary support for their relocation,” said Belmonde Dogo, the Minister in charge of efforts to end poverty.
The country’s Communication Minister, Amadou Coulibaly emphasized that “the aim is to provide a decent living environment for these people,”. He claimed that the people who were affected during an earlier eviction campaign had already been resettled into houses built by government
However, many families remain homeless or stranded in different parts of the city. Others have relocated out of the capital or squatting with friends or families elsewhere.
To douse tensions, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has appealed to Abidjan’s local officials to “show solidarity to preserve cohesion and social peace.”
