Two years after the waves of demolitions that struck the Gesco neighborhood in the Yopougon district, bitterness and anger remain undiminished. At a press conference held on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, the Collective of Victims of Evictions from the Eden and Pays-Bas housing projects and the sub-districts of Gesco spoke out to denounce the status quo and the complete lack of concrete reparations.

At the beginning of 2024, bulldozers demolished numerous homes. Yet, according to the collective's leaders, a large proportion of the affected residents were in compliance with regulations, holding final concession decrees (ACD) or having initiated regular administrative procedures to secure their plots.

A material and humanitarian disaster kept silent

Invited to speak, Rose Koné, a leading figure in the collective and a long-time resident of Gesco since she was 26, described an alarming humanitarian situation. Since the bulldozers swept through, dialogue with the authorities seems to have completely broken down. Whether it be the Abidjan Autonomous District, the central government, the Yopougon town hall, or the Ministry of National Solidarity, no institution has provided a response commensurate with the scale of the disaster.

"The promises of compensation have vanished. How could a one-time allowance of 250,000 FCFA granted to a few families possibly compensate for the loss of real estate assets built up over several decades and valued at several million CFA francs?" she exclaimed indignantly.

The assessment made by the group goes far beyond financial losses:

1. Massive destruction: More than 200 concessions razed and the Eden housing estate partially destroyed.
2. Education sacrificed: A school with more than 1,000 students has been demolished.
3. Human tragedy: Three deaths recorded among the victims and dozens of families sinking deeper into poverty every day.

The District of Abidjan faces justice on June 25th

Faced with this impasse, the group has chosen legal action. While the Abidjan Autonomous District administration denies any involvement in this operation, the victims firmly refute this version of events. They have sued the District in the Yopougon Court of First Instance to obtain compensation.

After a series of unsuccessful hearings on April 16, May 4, and May 21, 2026, all eyes are now on the Yopougon court for a crucial new hearing scheduled for Thursday, June 25, 2026. After more than two years of waiting, the victims hope to finally have their rights recognized.

"A neighborhood plagued by insecurity and aggression"

For Gbanan Goro Marcelin, president of the collective, the security argument doesn't hold water: Gesco was not a high-risk area. On the contrary, the demolitions would have created a worrying security vacuum.

“After the destruction, the neighborhood became a void and the attacks piled up. For two years, nothing was given to the real victims,” he laments, also denouncing a blatant overreach of the initial perimeter: “The eviction was supposed to cover 50 meters, but nearly 500 meters were destroyed.”

The head of the residents' association emphasized that many of those affected by the disaster were retirees who had served the Ivorian state their entire lives. Furthermore, Gesco was supposed to benefit from the Abidjan Restructuring Neighborhoods Project (PQRA), an international program worth over 32 billion CFA francs aimed at improving living conditions. This project, judging by the current state of the neighborhood, has left a very bitter taste in the mouths of the residents.

In conclusion, Rose Koné made a passionate appeal to the government: “We are not foreigners, but Ivorians like you. We need the State’s help.” It was a plea for justice and dignity so that these families would no longer be left behind by urban development.