Abidjan ammonium nitrate nothing to fear, Ivory Coast officials say

Once inside the vast vessel and with all five of its holds opened up, hundreds of round, white bags containing the chemical are visible.

The main indicator of its deadly potential is a fire truck parked outside on the quay.

But when asked by the BBC why the goods still had not been unloaded, despite passing checks, port spokesman Aboubakar Toto said they were simply following protocol and waiting for the order to proceed.

In a statement to the BBC, Paris-based environmental NGO Robin des Bois said it was dangerous for Abidjan port to be used as a “storage site” and that the goods should be sent onward to their buyer without delay.

Ivorian authorities meanwhile say that ammonium nitrate deliveries are commonplace and that more than 40,000 tonnes of the compound were unloaded at the same port in 2024 without incident.

Of the shipment waiting currently on the Zimrida, 7,600 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser is destined for use in Ivory Coast.

Once the Zimrida eventually leaves Ivory Coast, it will deliver the remainder of the cargo to Luanda in Angola and and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.