Abidjan, 03 March, 2024 / 8:50 pm (ACI Africa).
Members of Sant’Egidio Community in Ivory Coast, who are part of the Rome-based Lay Catholic association dedicated to the provision of social services and arbitrating conflicts, Sant’Egidio Community, are urging authorities in the West African nation to demonstrate care for humanity in the process of evicting citizens from high risk zones.
Since the beginning of February, authorities in the capital city of Ivory Coast, Abidjan, have been carrying out a large-scale eviction operation of people living in high risk zones.
In a Monday, February 26 statement that ACI Africa obtained, members of Sant’Egidio Community in the Ivory Coast appeal for support for thousands of persons affected by the evictions.
“The Community of Sant'Egidio in Ivory Coast calls for greater humanity and mercy, and for the implementation of a clear policy to support populations in their healthy relocation,” they say.
Sant’Egidio Community members in Ivory Coast note that “these operations have raised the anger of residents in neighborhoods such as Gesco and Boribana, in the districts of Yopougon and Attécoubé, and even beyond. They have also received mixed reviews from public opinion in Côte d'Ivoire.”