On February 20, 2025, in Abidjan, a coalition of civil society organizations in Côte d’Ivoire, called for the immediate release of Vincent Djiropo, Dominique Mensah, and the 18 other members of the Winnin community who have been detained since December 2024.
The CSO coalition; made up of Amnesty International Côte d’Ivoire, Young Volunteers for the Environment, Actes De Vie, the Ivorian Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, Novox Côte d’Ivoire, the Association for Sustainable Development and the Association of Owners of Natural Forests and Plantations; who highlighted the issues at stake, denounced land-grabbing by external actors at the expense of the land rights of indigenous communities. They called for a reassessment of the issues at stake, recognition of the rights of the affected populations, and the release of the protesters.
In a statement, the coalition declared: “The communities of Monogaga have the right to live on their land without harassment. It is unacceptable to treat these citizens as criminals.”
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) commends the coalition of CSOs for standing with the Winnin community members and joining in the call for their release.
The MFWA joins in the demands of the coalition and reiterates its call on Ivorian authorities to release Vincent Djiropo, Dominique Mensah, and the 18 members of the Winnin community immediately and unconditionally.
We further urge Ivorian authorities to respect and protect civil rights and liberties of all, including indigenous communities.