Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Two French executives of the Dutch oil trader Trafigura have been arrested in connection with the illegal dumping of toxic waste in the Ivory Coast capital. Seven people died and thousands got sick last month after inhaling fumes from black sludge that was unloaded at Abidjan port and dumped at various sites around the city. Trafigura expressed outrage over the arrests. It said it delivered the waste, a mixture of gasoline and corrosives, to an Ivorian company, which was responsible for disposal. The arrested executives, director Claude Dauphin and Jean-Pierre Valentini, the manager for West Africa, were part of a team that Trafigura sent over two weeks ago to help with the cleanup. Ivorians continue to suffer from vomiting, stomachaches, and nosebleeds.
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