Officials in Ivory Coast say there is no need to fear ammonium nitrate in Abidjan

Port authorities in Ivory Coast have dismissed safety concerns over a docked boat carrying 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate. It is the same complex that caused a catastrophic explosion in Lebanon four years ago.

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

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

Part of this same shipment, which began its journey, ended up in Russia Dumped off the coast of England Last year after it became contaminated with fuel oil after a rough sea voyage.

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

The remaining ammonium nitrate was then transferred to another ship – called the Zemerida – which arrived in Ivory Coast eight days earlier.

The port authorities say: “After allegations of damage to the transported goods and as a precautionary measure to protect residents and property,” the ship will remain in the outer port.

Ivorian officials insist that what is now left on board the Zemrida has undergone the most stringent safety checks.

Locals still remember the impact of toxic waste being discharged into the port of Abidjan nearly two decades ago.

In an attempt to reassure local residents, officials invited the BBC and other journalists on board the Zimrida ship on Tuesday to see the cargo.

Once the huge vessel was entered and all five parts were opened, hundreds of white round bags containing the chemical could be seen.

The main indicator of its deadly potential is a fire engine parked outside on the sidewalk.

But when port spokesman Abubakar Tutu was asked why the goods had not been unloaded yet, despite passing inspections, he said they were simply following protocol and waiting for the order to be implemented.

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

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

Among the cargo currently waiting on board Zimrida, there are 7,600 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer intended 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 Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.