Houses marked for demolition in Cotonou, Ouidah and Sèmè-Podji
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Beninwebtv
Houses located in basins or water-drainage areas have been marked for demolition in Cotonou, Ouidah and Sèmè-Podji, Benin. Benin’s director general of urban development, Ghislain Hounnou, announced formal notices and a deadline for residents of occupied homes, according to an investigation by 24 Heures au Bénin.
Houses located within the footprint of basins or water-drainage areas have been marked for possible demolition in Cotonou, Ouidah and Sèmè-Podji, Benin. The operation is still at the identification stage, Ghislain Hounnou, director general of urban development, said in an investigation by 24 Heures au Bénin.
In Cotonou, the Akogbato, Fiyégnon and Yèmi Codji neighbourhoods are affected. The marking also extends to Adounko, in Ouidah, and Agblangandan, in the commune of Sèmè-Podji, across an area stretching from Fidjrossè to Ouidah. Residents say they discovered the inscriptions without any clear explanation; in Akogbato, retiree Romain Hounnoukpè said that his house and the inside of his living room had been photographed.
Ghislain Hounnou distinguishes between fences around undeveloped plots and occupied homes. The former must be assessed before the areas are cleared, while occupants of homes will receive formal notices and a deadline to leave. The exact number of houses affected has not been disclosed.
In Yèmi Codji, where the first inscriptions date back to 28 September, residents have formed a committee and approached the prefecture, the town hall and several ministries. In the neighbouring commune of Abomey-Calavi, residents of Togbin-Fandji had already secured the creation, on 24 September, of an 11-member committee to monitor dialogue and arrangements for resettlement or compensation. Comparable operations have also led to the destruction of family homes in Beira, Mozambique, according to Beira town hall.
