Côte d'Ivoire: Victims from the Zimbabwe neighborhood in Abidjan demand relocation

In Côte d'Ivoire, former residents of the Zimbabwe neighborhood, located in the Port-Bouët commune of Abidjan, are expressing their distress over the lack of support measures. According to RFI, this 20-hectare area bordering the Autonomous Port was completely razed by the Autonomous District of Abidjan in June 2026. To justify this mass eviction operation, local authorities had primarily cited security and health imperatives.

Four months after these destructions, the economic and social consequences are weighing heavily on the displaced populations. According to the RFI correspondent, many families are forced to move far away to find shelter. This is the case for a resident who had lived there for nearly thirty years and had to relocate to Anyama, in the north of the metropolis, facing a significant increase in her daily expenses by moving from free housing to expensive rent.

For victims who do not have sufficient income to afford rent in the economic capital, the only alternative remains being hosted by family. According to the testimonies gathered, this forced cohabitation creates multiple forms of precariousness. A former employee of the local health center explains that he has to crowd in with his relatives at a family member's home while waiting for a lasting solution.

During a press conference held on October 4, 2026, the collective representing the evicted residents called on the Ivorian government. Its president, Saïdou Traoré, denounced the abandonment of these citizens, noting that several children have been forced to interrupt their schooling. The group is demanding an emergency reclassification and relocation plan from the State for all households affected by this measure.

In response to the demolition campaigns in Abidjan, the government had announced, one month after the events in Zimbabwe, the creation of 12,000 social housing units located in Songon and along the North Highway. However, on the ground, the displaced people are lamenting the slow pace of implementation while their precarious situation persists.

Our perspective

The urban development of Abidjan cannot be achieved at the expense of the dignity and fundamental rights of vulnerable populations. The modernization of our African metropolises must imperatively reconcile land-use planning, social justice, and the guarantee of the right to housing for every citizen.