Construction of a major real estate project in Ebimpé has been forced to halt. This weekend, outrage erupted when local landowners staged an unprecedented sit-in at the site of the new buildings being developed by Alliances-CI.

Peaceful but determined, the demonstration not only blocked the work, but above all brought to light a long-standing land dispute concerning customary rights.

💰 Ten years of waiting and compensation blocked

At the heart of the dispute: compensation owed to families holding ancestral lands. According to the plaintiffs, grouped within a Collective, the majority have never received the full amounts promised by the State, despite more than a decade of waiting .

Emotions ran high on the site. "These are our ancestors' lands... We just want what is rightfully ours," said one owner, conveying the deep sense of injustice felt by families whose heritage is being transformed into modern infrastructure without them receiving fair compensation.

❓ Who is blocking the money? The crux of the problem

The real estate developer, Alliances-CI , maintains that it has fulfilled its obligations. The company asserts that it has paid all compensation due to AGEF (Agence de gestion foncière), the public body responsible for redistributing customary rights to those entitled to them.

However, many owners claim to have received nothing, which fuels deep mistrust and suspicions of embezzlement:

"If Alliances paid, why isn't the money reaching us? Who is blocking it?", asks a member of the Collective.

The blockade of the construction site is seen by the protesters as a powerful symbol of their struggle against this administrative opacity.

🤝 Urgent appeal to the State

Faced with this impasse, the landowners are making a solemn appeal to the State, customary authorities, and land institutions. They are making the opening of a transparent dialogue a prerequisite for any resumption of work.

Their demands are clear:

1. An independent audit has been set up to shed light on the transactions.
2. Clarification of the amounts actually paid by the promoter.
3. To ensure a fair and immediate distribution of customary rights to those entitled to them.

Beyond the Ebimpé crisis, this case highlights a recurring national problem in the management of customary rights during the implementation of large-scale real estate projects. Pending mediation, the site's development remains suspended.