Kuala Lampur, May 2 -- On a street in a working-class neighbourhood in Abidjan, a small group of young people scrubbed rubbish-clogged drains while barefoot children played nearby.

The volunteers have declared war on filth in Ivory Coast, convinced that in order to develop, they need to keep their country clean.

Armed with shovels and brightly coloured rakes, around 10 of them turned out in the Attecoube area to "set an example", said 22-year-old Mickael Yao, a surgical mask pulled over his nose to cope with the stench.

The densely populated district is part of Greater Abidjan, the country's economic capital of more than six million people.

The fast-growing city produces at least 4,500 tonnes of household waste a day, according to the...