Toxic victims on hunger strike

2007-01-10 20:17

Abidjan - About 20 victims of toxic waste in the Ivory Coast commercial capital were on a hunger strike on Wednesday, demanding that President Laurent Gbagbo make good on his promise of compensation.

The hunger strikers staged their protest on the steps of a Roman Catholic church in Abidjan's commercial Plateau district, a month after Gbagbo promised to pay about €61 000 to the victims and to help cover their medical bills.

"Since December 7 and our meeting with Mr Gbagbo, we have not received a cent," said a spokesperson for the victims, Yves Lopko, adding that the victims wanted to meet again with the president.

Hundreds of tons of petroleum waste brought by ship to the Abidjan port by the multinational trading company Trafigura was in August illegally dumped across more than a dozen open-air rubbish tips around Abidjan.

Ivorian authorities plea for funds

Ten people died of contamination, 69 others were admitted in hospital and thousands fell sick, according to Ivorian health officials.

Ivorian authorities indicted 18 people, seven of whom are in custody, but violent demonstrations erupted in Abidjan when Gbagbo last month had the port chief and two other officials reinstated in a public row with his prime minister, Henri Konan Banny.

On December 7, the head of state met a delegation from victims' associations and promised them a compensatory gift of €61 000-€79,000, along with 26 million CFA francs in medical care.

More than 9 000 tons of waste containing the toxic chemicals have been cleaned up in Abidjan and taken to France for disposal, with the last of five shiploads arriving in the French port of Le Havre on December 26.

Ivorian authorities have issued an international plea for funds to help foot the bill for cleaning up the waste, which the government late in November put at about $30m.

- AFP