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Bulk carrier with Ruby cargo docked in Abidjan

The 'Zimrida'Ä, loaded with nearly 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, finally docked at the Autonomous Port of Abidjan on Jan 7. Of the 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, nearly 7,600 tons are intended for a mining operator at the Ivory Coast. Other operators are Angolans and Tanzanians. During a visit before the ship had berthed, journalists were able to see the holds of the ship, where the goods were stored in white bags. It was confirmed that no ship can access the port of Abidjan and Ivorian ports without a DGCAM check. So, if the 'Zimrida' is in the port, it is sure that it is not on a blacklist. The 'Zimrida' will have a 24-hour security monitoring until its departure. The unloading of the goods should take a good week. The 'Zimrida' and its cargo did not represent any danger to the port facilities, much less to the population, and was meeting all the safety conditions set by international maritime regulations. Reports with photos: https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20250107-c%C3%B4te-d-ivoire-le-navire-zimrida-charg%C3%A9-de-nitrate-d-ammonium-a-accost%C3%A9-%C3%A0-abidjan https://news.dayfr.com/international/4181823.html

Ship and cargo no danger to Abidjan

The port of Abidjan announced in a statement on Jan 6 that the 'Zimrida' and its cargo of 19,731.381 tons ammonium nitrate did not pose any danger to port facilities, much less to the population, with the cargo not being a toxic waste, but rather an authorized and commonly used input for fertilizers (agricultural activities) and for the production of explosives for earthmoving purposes (mining activities, road construction). To this, the shipper (owner of the goods) has obtained all the authorizations from the competent state services for the importation of the product. The 'Zimrida' was not suffering any damage and met all safety conditions, in accordance with international maritime regulations. It is also on the white list of ship classification. The port of Abidjan specifiedthat a visit open to the media was to be made on the ship on Jan 7, 2025 at 9 a.m. LT in order to reassure the public on the integrity of the goods. 7,654 tons are intended for the Ivorian customer and now authorized to be unloaded. After Abidjan, the ship will set sail again for Angola and then Tanzania, for the unloading of the rest of its cargo. The ship has been blocked in the outer harbour of the port of Abidjan since Dec 30. A meeting between the port authorities, Ivorian customs, the owner of the goods and the carrier, aimed at deciding whether the part of the cargo destined for Côte d'Ivoire could be unloaded as planned or not, took place on Jan 6.

Cargo with explosive cargo datained off Adidjan

On Jan 4, 2025, the 'Zimrida', carrying approximately 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, lightered from the damaged bulk carrier 'Ruby', has been detained off the port of Abidjan, A meeting has been scheduled for Jan 6 between the Ivorian authorities, the owner of the cargo and the carrier, to assess the measures necessary to secure the cargo, protect the population and the environment, and to decide whether the 3,000 tons of its cargo destined for the Ivory Coast can be unloaded as planned or not. This type of incident also raises concerns about the use of foreign flags, such as that of Barbados, often associated with reduced regulation of maritime safety standards. The Ivorian authorities, with the support of maritime safety experts, are taking all necessary precautions to avoid a disaster that could have a lasting impact on the region.