The authorities in Ivory Coast’s biggest city, Abidjan, have announced a ban on begging to try to combat what they call urban disorder.
The city’s Deputy Governor, Vincent N’cho Kouaoh, said begging in all its forms – including the use of handcarts – was forbidden to improve people’s living conditions, ensure their safety and improve traffic flow.
In 2013, the interior ministry prohibited begging at street junctions, but it failed to curb the practice.
Attempts in other African cities have also resulted in a similar lack of success.
The latest ban follows mass evictions and demolitions in several of the city’s slums.
The Ivorian capital is one of the most gridlocked cities in Africa with a population of about six million people.
