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“Do things in a humane, proper way”: Catholic Bishop in Ivory Coast to Authorities amid Reported Forceful Evictions

Visit of Bishop Bruno Essoh Yedoh to victims of forceful evictions in Ivory Coast. Credit: Vatican Media

By Jude Atemanke

Abidjan, 16 March, 2024 / 9:17 pm (ACI Africa).

The President of the Commission for Social Pastoral Care of the Episcopal Conference of Ivory Coast (CECCI) has called on relevant authorities in the West African nation to “respect human dignity” in the process of evicting citizens from high risk zones.

Since the beginning of February, authorities in the capital city of Ivory Coast, Abidjan, have reportedly been carrying out a large-scale eviction operation of people living in high risk zones.

Speaking to journalists after visiting victims of the reported forceful evictions, Bishop Bruno Essoh Yedoh expressed his compassion, solidarity and spiritual closeness with the victims.

“We can do things with human dignity in mind. And the State has the necessary expertise to respect human dignity, to do things in a humane and proper way,” Bishop Yedoh said March 11.

He added, “Look at how we organized the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), the money we sunk into it. Why don't we take the time to do things right for these brothers and sisters, with a view to respecting and safeguarding their dignity?”

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The Local Ordinary of Ivory Coast’s Bondoukou Diocese decried the poor living conditions of the victims of the reported forceful evictions.

“Sleeping out in the open with children, pregnant women, the elderly and pensioners - it's hard to bear,” he said.

In his considered opinion, while “it's a noble initiative to want to preserve human lives when there's the rainy season with landslides”, not all the areas Ivorians are being evicted from are high risk zones.

The evictions, the Bishop of Bondoukou went on to say, “could have been carried out during the school vacations, which would have given parents peace of mind. But now they have no place to live.”

He called on the Cameroonian government “to remember these victims, not to abandon them but to help these vulnerable families, who have lost everything, to rebuild their dignity.”

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“In this Lenten season, we pray to the Lord to soothe these brothers and sisters, some of whom have been psychologically and morally scarred, and who have heavy hearts. We cry out from the heart: may the State do something to right these wrongs,” the President of the Commission for Social Pastoral Care of CECCI said on March 11.

Jude Atemanke

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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