In Ivory Coast, while the Abidjan Autonomous District has been carrying out a series of demolitions of informal settlements in recent days due to the rainy season, a scandal has surfaced: several dozen hectares of the Campement neighborhood, in the Koumassi commune, have been destroyed on the orders of a certain Jacques Brou. The problem: according to the public prosecutor, this man did not have authorization. An investigation has been opened.

On Wednesday, June 3, residents of the Campement neighborhood in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, were caught off guard by excavators and bulldozers. Workers demolished everything: houses, buildings, shops. They acted on the orders of a man, Jacques Brou, who was supported by law enforcement.

On social media, this individual posted a video in which Jacques Brou brandishes a document, claiming to have authorization to raze nearly 34 hectares in the area. A week later, the residents of the neighborhood are plunged into hardship.

One of them, Issouf, wanders amidst the ruins of his home. This father of five is now sleeping on the bare floor in a mosque, after his house was destroyed overnight: “It’s a real blow for us. We were taken by surprise. We didn’t even know what to do. We weren’t warned, nothing. The moment I came back to get my TV, the security forces prevented me from going in. So we left, we left everything behind because we didn’t know what to do.”

In the Campement neighborhood, all that remains are piles of rubble, broken corrugated iron roofs, shattered furniture… Amidst the debris, in the rain, some residents are still searching for clothes. Others are looking for official documents. Families are squatting wherever they can find space. Moussa Dembelé, a father, is distraught: “The children are scattered. We tried to entrust them to their parents: some are here, others are there. I myself am outside. My wife too.”

Dozens of families have found refuge at the BAD school. They are being helped by a group of young volunteers who are collecting donations and trying to meet their needs every day. "We have 184 registered victims. The urgent priority is to find them temporary housing and relocate them to other homes," explains Mandjou Touré, president of this crisis response team.

Order to arrest Jacques Brou, who is on the run

The video released by Jacques Brou to justify the demolitions drew the attention of the authorities. After verification, the document "does not authorize any demolition of buildings," wrote the public prosecutor, emphasizing that Mr. Brou's request concerned only five homes. This request was, moreover, rejected by the court.

This revelation has sparked outrage and anger from both civil society and political parties. "Brou went accompanied by law enforcement. Who sent them on this mission?" asks Charles Blé Goudé, leader of the Cojep party. He has hired a lawyer to seek compensation for the homeless families.

For his part, the public prosecutor, Oumar Braman Koné, has opened an investigation: these demolitions, he says, constitute acts of "disturbing public order, assault, and willful destruction of property." He has ordered the arrest of Jacques Brou, who is on the run.