2023-06-12 22:00:51
Traffic on this line of the Congo-Ocean Railway (CFCO) was interrupted in 2016. The cause: the sabotage of bridges and other structures on this route, particularly in the Pool region where clashes the Congolese army and ex-ninja combatants. Today, this train line no longer seems to meet standards, but the Congolese authorities promise to restore it.
From our correspondent in Brazzaville,
On the square of Brazzaville’s central station, Sage Mayatela, 33, an agronomist, specialist in environmental and social protection, is sitting on a concrete seat far from the platforms. He wears a white shirt and overcoat. With a small bag, he goes on a mission in the Pool.
« I am waiting for a connection, if not a train, to leave for the locality of Kibouendé (in the Pool) to undergo training for local communities “, he explains.
A few moments later, in mild weather, the train awaited by Sage Mayetela entered the station. The locomotive dragging a dozen wagons left Pointe-Noire the day before. It took almost 16 hours to cover 510 kilometers. Some, like the merchant Bestam Esaïe, claim to have had a pleasant trip. “ The trip was good. We traveled in good conditions. The clean. In all, no complaints “, he testifies.
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“We are providing the essentials for the moment”
An opinion not shared by others, like Germain Fontaine, an economic operator: ” The rails no longer respond to our century. It’s very faulty. When we take the example of the train launched in Senegal and Luanda, we are very far behind. It’s unfortunate. I’m sorry he says, disillusioned.
A legacy of French colonization, this railway line has long been presented as the backbone of the Congolese economy. Its defectiveness is recognized by the government. Honoré Sayi is Minister of Transport. ” This railway is not two years old. It still took some time. And, we have a strong experience. We have equipment, perhaps not in sufficient terms because it has been outdated, perhaps we haven’t had enough for a while, but we are providing the essentials for the moment.l ».
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Restoring the image of the railway is a concern of the government, according to Honoré Sayi: “ The railway must go forward. This is a question for which we are not going to erect the difficulty into an impossibility. The difficulty is there, but the impossibility will be raised. I hope that with substantial donors and determined Congolese, we will go further », promet M. Sayi.
The CFCO transported approximately 600,000 passengers in 2015.
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