the Zimrida ship, loaded with ammonium nitrate, docked in Abidjan

AA/Abidjan/Fulbert Yao

The ship loaded with nearly 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, flying the flag of Barbados, docked this Tuesday at the Autonomous Port of Abidjan, noted Anadolu, during a visit organized by the port authorities.

Of the 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, nearly 7,600 tonnes are intended for a mining operator in Ivory Coast. Other operators are Angolans and Tanzanians, said Hien Yacouba Sié, the port’s Director General.

During the visit, journalists were able to see the ship’s holds, where the goods are currently stored, in white bags.

This was also an opportunity for the port authorities to clarify things: “no ship can access the port of Abidjan and Ivorian ports without an inspection by the DGCAM. So, if the Zimrida is in the port, know that it is not on a black list,” assured the Director of the Port of Abidjan.

As for the suspicions of damage, Hien Yacouba Sié explained that they actually related to another boat, the “Ruby”, a Russian ship, which had initially transported this merchandise.

“Due to European sanctions against Russian ships, the Ruby was unable to enter a European port, but was welcomed in an English port, which is not in the European Union. In this port, the Ruby docked, and as it was broken down, the owner of the goods asked to transfer his cargo to another ship, the Zimrida, which arrived in Abidjan, safe and sound,” he said. he said.

Likewise, the general director of the Port of Abidjan assured that the Zimrida ship “will benefit from a 24-hour security watch, from its arrival to its departure” and the unloading of the goods should take a good week.

Finally, Hien Sié recalled that the port of Abidjan, for years, has regularly received ammonium nitrate for the emergence of local industries.

For example, in 2024, it received “around thirty ships which passed through the port of Abidjan, for a total volume of more than 40,000 tonnes”, he said.

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