A Cody News Spot: Ivory Coast Dump Tragedy

Global Sludge Ends in Tragedy for Ivory Coast

By LYDIA POLGREEN and MARLISE SIMONS
Published: October 2, 2006

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, Sept. 28 — It was his infant son’s cries, gasping and insistent, that first woke Salif Oudrawogol one night last month. The smell hit him moments later, wafting into the family’s hut, a noxious mélange reminiscent of rotten eggs, garlic and petroleum.

Mr. Oudrawogol went outside to investigate. Beside the family’s compound, near his manioc and corn fields, he saw a stinking slick of black sludge.

“The smell was so bad we were afraid,” Mr. Oudrawogol said. “It burned our noses and eyes.”

Tough, tragic story here from the NYTimes about these criminal enterprises who dumped toxic waste in Ivory Coast, leaving civilians in the area in a major health crisis and even killing at least 8. The article's wrong to call this an "underbelly of globalization", but these criminal enterprises who are guilty of murder must be prosecuted by the global courts. And yet again, where is the UN when it could be helpful? Of course if they do get involved, I suppose Kofi's kid can finagle another new Mercedes out of this deal anyway.