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

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

A prime indicator of its deadly potential is a fire truck parked on the pier.

But when asked by the BBC why the cargo had still not been unloaded despite passing checks, port spokesman Abubakar Toto 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 using the port of Abidjan as a “storage site” was dangerous and that goods should be sent to buyers 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 cargo currently awaiting Zimrida, 7,600 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertilizer is intended for use in Côte d’Ivoire.

When Zimrida leaves Côte d’Ivoire, it will deliver the remaining cargo to Luanda in Angola and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.