Ln May 27, 2003, Rood woko, the biggest market in the city of Ouagadougou, was devastated by a fire. Huge losses were suffered. It took the French Cooperation to rebuild a good part of the market several months later. Voices had been raised well before this tragedy, to say that if the authority did not put order there, a disaster would be unstoppable. And it was the case. In question, disorder, overcrowding and no functional fire safety system.
20 years later, on January 29, 2023, another tragedy struck one of the old markets of the capital, that of local products: Sankar yaaré. The same negligence did not limit the damage. 40% of hangars destroyed. Our reflexes in terms of fire safety in public places has hardly evolved. Users are as responsible for their safety as the authorities. Especially when the former are quick to defy the latter. The lessons do not seem to have been learned by the parties. Except one, anyway. That of not closing the market as was the case with Rood woko. Traders would like to manage the restoration of the market themselves, so as not to move to another site, with the risk of no longer coming back and losing their customers. We can understand it. But can we still trust them? o
Par Abdoulaye TAO
The article Editorial: au feu appeared first on Journal L’Economiste du Faso.