Ivory Coast officials say ammonium nitrate in Abidjan is nothing to fear

Port authorities in Ivory Coast have dismissed concerns over the safety of a moored boat loaded with 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, it is the same compound that caused the catastrophic explosion in Lebanon four years ago.

Ammonium nitrate is commonly used as an agricultural fertilizer, but is also potentially explosive.

Its presence in the waters of the bustling city of Abidjan, home to more than six million people, has alarmed some residents.

Part of this very cargo, which began its journey in Russia, ended up as a result cast off the coast of England last year after it was contaminated with fuel oil following a stormy sea voyage.

A local MP in Norfolk said the dump was “environmental terrorism”.

The remaining ammonium nitrate was then transferred to another ship – called the Zimrida – which reached Ivory Coast eight days ago.

“Following reports of damage to cargo being transported and as a precautionary measure to protect the public and property,” the vessel will remain in the outer harbor, port authorities said.

Ivorian officials insist that what remains aboard the Zimrida has passed the most stringent security checks.

Wary locals still remember the consequences of dumping toxic waste at the port of Abidjan nearly two decades ago.

In an effort to reassure the local population, officials invited the BBC and other journalists aboard the Zimrida on Tuesday to see the cargo.

Once inside the huge vessel and opening all five of its holds, one can see hundreds of round white bags with the chemical.

The main indicator of its lethal potential is a fire truck parked on the embankment.

But when asked by the BBC why the goods had still not been unloaded despite the checks being carried out, the port’s spokesman, Abubakar Tota, said they were simply following protocol and waiting for the order to be carried out.

In a statement to the BBC, Paris-based environmental NGO Robin des Bois said the port of Abidjan was unsafe to use as a “storage site” and that the goods should be sent to the buyer without delay.

Meanwhile, Ivorian authorities say shipments of ammonium nitrate are routine and that more than 40,000 tons of the compound were unloaded at the same port in 2024 without incident.

Of the delivery currently pending at Zimrida, 7,600 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertilizer is intended for use in Côte d’Ivoire.

After Zimrida eventually leaves Cote d’Ivoire, it will deliver the rest of the cargo to Luanda in Angola and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.