Reporting from Abidjan, Fanny Naoro-Kabré

The Plateau municipal council has condemned what it calls an unilateral action by the Abidjan district authority, which recently demolished nearly 350 million CFA francs worth of newly completed infrastructure investments.

The council now fears that remaining embankment improvements along the Ebrié Lagoon may also be targeted for destruction. Officials have announced plans to file an administrative appeal to halt demolitions and seek compensation.

The district authority, however, defends its actions as part of its official mandate, stating it sought to reclaim public land that had been illegally occupied. It also revealed plans for a broader development project in the area.

This is not the first time the Abidjan district and Plateau council have clashed. Both sides frequently accuse each other of overstepping their jurisdictional boundaries.

Observers suggest these ongoing tensions reflect deeper political divisions. The Abidjan district is led by Ibrahim Cissé Bacongo, executive secretary of the ruling RHDP party, while the Plateau council is administered by Jacques Gabriel Ehouo, a PDCI party deputy-mayor.