Tensions are running high between the municipality of Port-Bouët and the Autonomous District of Abidjan (DAA). In an official statement published on Friday, June 12, 2026, the mayor's office strongly criticized the waves of evictions affecting several of its neighborhoods, condemning a "unilateral" approach and a total lack of consultation.

Faced with this situation, the municipal administration is now threatening to initiate legal proceedings.

Chronology of a dialogue of the deaf

The escalation of this institutional conflict is based on a communication schedule that is, to say the least, flawed:

1. May 29, 2026: Alerted by rumors of imminent evictions, the mayor of Port-Bouët, Emmou Ackah Georges Sylvestre, sends a letter to the Minister-Governor of the DAA to obtain clarifications on the fate of the Vridi 3 district.
2. June 1, 2026: The District acknowledges receipt of the letter.
3. June 9, 2026: The District finally transmits its official response... while the bulldozers have already been at work on the ground for several days.

In this letter (reference N/0079/2026/DAA/CAB/apa), Touré Mathieu, Chief of Staff of the DAA, acknowledged the communication delay. He also confirmed that the operations, which began two weeks earlier, targeted numerous areas of the municipality, including Zimbabwe (Vridi 3) , Toviato , and Vridi Canal .

Major damages and a legal battle looming

The Port-Bouët town hall regrets that the list of affected sites is actually much longer, also including Vridi Plage , Anlaya , Littoral-Phare and the Lost City .

“[These interventions without prior coordination cause] serious moral, economic, and material harm to the affected populations.” — Municipality of Port-Bouët

Believing that its prerogatives as a decentralized entity have been deliberately violated, the municipality announced that it reserves the right to take legal action against the District in the competent administrative and judicial courts.

A diplomatic and regional impact

This local standoff is beginning to take on an international dimension. As proof of the scale of the humanitarian crisis caused by these demolitions, the Ghanaian government recently announced the emergency repatriation of 327 of its citizens , who became homeless as a result of these operations in Port-Bouët.