Originally from Grand-Bassam in the Ivory Coast, Daouda Diane was around 37 years old when he disappeared in the summer of 2022. He had been living in Acate, in the province of Ragusa, for over five years with a valid residence permit. He worked as a cultural and linguistic mediator, as well as doing undeclared work in construction and at concrete plants, and as a bricklayer, to support his family back home.
The complaints
In the days leading up to his disappearance, he posted videos from a local cement factory, denouncing the extremely harsh working conditions and lack of safety guarantees. He described the workplace as ‘a place where people die’. In one of the videos, he used a jackhammer and explicitly stated: ‘Here you die’.
Speaking in French, he said, “This is a cement factory; here, there is death. When we go back to our country, we say that we work in a cement factory, but it’s a curse. It’s all lies; we pretend to be happy. There is a place inside the factory that is very dangerous. If you go in there, you could die. We work in dangerous places. We are in danger from morning to night. We suffer here, and then we go back to our country and tell people that we work in a factory. It’s a lie. What factory? Liars.”
The disappearance of Daouda Diane
On 2 July 2022, Daouda Diane went to the cement factory in Acate, where he worked, as usual. Since that day, there has been no news of him. His phone, which had been switched off since 14:38, has not been found. Money, documents, and even a ticket for a flight to the Ivory Coast — where he had planned to reunite with his wife and seven- or eight-year-old son — were found at his home. The family categorically rejects the hypothesis of a voluntary disappearance.
Investigations and judicial developments
The Carabinieri, including the Parma RIS (Scientific Investigation Unit), carried out surveys and inspections (including with canine units), and acquired footage from the company’s CCTV cameras. However, the cameras were turned off for maintenance. Despite the collection of evidence, neither the company nor any individuals were formally entered in the register of suspects for a long time. Five individuals linked to the company were subsequently entered in the register for murder and concealment of a corpse. In 2023, the Ragusa Public Prosecutor’s Office changed the charge, hypothesising that Daouda had not disappeared voluntarily, but had been murdered at work.
Social mobilisation
Following his disappearance, there was a public outcry, with sit-ins organised by USB and local activists — including the mayor of Acate and the regional secretary of Rifondazione Comunista — demanding truth and justice. National figures such as Don Luigi Ciotti supported the initiative, and proposals were made to establish 2 July as the “Day of the Fight Against Labour Exploitation” in Daouda’s memory.
The case has drawn attention to the phenomenon of illegal hiring and exploitation in Italy’s cement, agriculture, and precarious work sectors. Daouda has emerged as a symbol of the real danger that workers face when they complain about their conditions: “He had taken part in our demonstrations… he denounced the conditions in which he was forced to work”.
Current situation
Three years after his disappearance, Daouda Diane’s body has still not been found. The investigation into his murder and concealment is ongoing, and there are suspects, but no convictions have yet been made. The CGIL union denounces: ‘After three years, no justice’.
Daouda Diane embodied the aspiration for a dignified life, supporting his family through sacrifice and hard work. However, this did not stop him from denouncing the inhumane working conditions. The case has fuelled reflection on hidden exploitation, workplace safety and the impunity that still protects entrepreneurs, contractors and gangmasters.
