IN a swift and heartbreaking turn of events, Dame Touré found herself hastily gathering her belongings as bulldozers advanced into her neighbourhood in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. Alongside her three children, she scrambled to salvage what they could, but their efforts proved futile as their home was razed to the ground under the watchful eyes of armed security forces.
The Touré family’s plight is just one among many in Abidjan’s recent wave of demolitions, primarily targeting the city’s underdeveloped areas. Government officials cite public health concerns as the driving force behind the demolitions, pointing to the deadly floods that plague these impoverished neighbourhoods along the lagoon during the rainy season.
‘My children and I now sleep under the sun. We don’t know where to go,’ lamented Touré, reflecting the anguish of many affected residents.
Rapid urbanisation has exacerbated housing shortages in Abidjan, with nearly one in five Ivorians now calling the bustling economic hub home. This surge in population, coupled with economic challenges, has strained the city’s infrastructure and led to a perpetual struggle to provide adequate housing for its residents.
Chimezie Anajama, a policy researcher and founder of Blooming Social Pen development nonprofit, emphasised the need for innovative solutions to address the infrastructure deficits in African cities. ‘There must be a strong commitment by different African governments to come up with creative solutions,’ Anajama told The Associated Press (AP).
While authorities defend the demolitions as necessary for public safety, evicted families and rights groups decry the lack of prior notice or compensation. The scale of the recent demolitions, affecting hundreds of thousands since late January, marks one of the largest in years, exacerbating an already dire situation.
Despite government assurances of relocating homeless families to safer areas, many remain stranded or homeless, with little recourse for their plight. The demolitions have drawn condemnation from human rights organisations, with the Ivorian League for Human Rights urging authorities to halt the campaign.
The evictions have disrupted communities and shattered livelihoods, leaving many without homes or support. Aimée Ouédraogo, a spokesperson for affected women, expressed the profound impact: ‘We no longer have a home, we no longer have our family, we no longer have our children next to us.’
In response to mounting criticism, President Alassane Ouattara called for solidarity and social cohesion, urging local authorities to mitigate the fallout from the demolitions. However, the promise of compensation and resettlement has left many sceptical, particularly given the inadequacy of the support provided.
As the government pledges support for relocation and reconstruction, affected residents like Touré grapple with an uncertain future. With housing costs soaring beyond their means, the prospect of rebuilding their lives in Abidjan seems increasingly remote.
‘I don’t have anyone in Abidjan, and I don’t have money to buy a house,’ Touré lamented, encapsulating the despair felt by countless others displaced by the demolitions.