Ivory Coast: Ferkéssédougou, a city stopped due to the closure of borders

In Côte d'Ivoire, Ferkéssédougou, close to Burkina Faso, suffers economically from the closure of the borders, June 23, 2020. Issouf SANOGO / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

In the north of Côte d'Ivoire, Ferkéssédougou is the last major city on the road to Burkina Faso. Since the closure of the borders and the isolation of Abidjan due to the coronavirus pandemic, the city has suffered economically. Unless otherwise specified, people can no longer cross the border. Overall, all trade with Burkina has dropped.

Publicity

Read more

With our special envoy to Ferkéssédougou , Pierre Pinto

Takiali Ouattara is a mechanic on the Grand-Place in Ferké, specializing in French Peugeot and MBK mopeds. Until March 22, Takiali Ouattara bought his motorcycles and parts across the border in Burkina and brought them here.

Since then, he has had to change his organization: “  For the moment, we are doing well. Often there are opportunities. We go to the market and find a few opportunities. But when there is none in the market, we are forced to look for collaborators, to telephone. It really takes you time. On work like that, in the garage activity, I can have at least 5,000 or 6,000 francs [7.62 euros to 9.15] per day. But today we have about 2,000 francs or 2,500.  ”

Takiali Ouattara is not the only one hoping for an early reopening of the border. 100 m from its garage, the Sama Transports bus station invariably remains empty. This Ivorian transport company linked Abidjan to Burkina Faso or Mali until the end of March.

Today, Sama buses still run on Malian roads. But in Côte d'Ivoire, closing the borders and isolating Abidjan means that the buses remain in the garage, explains station manager Koné Ouanlo Fousseini: “  Currently, for buses with 69 people, we are asked to put 52 people. The Ferké-Bouaké ticket costs 3,500 francs. With 3,500 x 50 people, when you remove the fuel, it's not profitable. If the border is open, practically we do Ferké-Bamako, Bouaké-Bamako, it is profitable. It's worth opening because it gets really dull . "

On Wednesday, Côte d'Ivoire registered 260 new infections with the coronavirus. This brings the total of confirmed cases to 8,164, including 3,419 cured and 58 deaths.

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Ivory Coast
  • Coronavirus
  • Confinement

On the same subject

Ivory Coast: infoxes reduce vaccinations, according to health authorities

Coronavirus: how is the increase in contamination in Côte d'Ivoire explained?

Coronavirus in Ivory Coast: tension in catering on home delivery