2023-10-09 22:16:28
In Senegal, the boats which provided the connection between Dakar and Casamance, in the south of the country, are still at a standstill. The measure was initially taken during the violent riots in early June for security reasons, but no resumption has been announced. And in landlocked Casamance, this suspension weighs on traders who depended on these rotations to sell their goods.
From our special correspondent in Ziguinchor,
Opposite the port of Ziguinchor, the Madiba restaurant is empty at lunchtime. A few months ago, however, customers were jostling. The two employees sit and pass the time on their phones.
Néné Gueye is around twenty years old. “ There were a lot of people, even the terrace in front was full. It was very busy. There were Senegalese, Westerners, Fulani from Guinea, all came here. But there is no one left. It was the boat that brought us the customers »
Before the boats linking Dakar to Ziguinchor were stopped, five people worked at the restaurant. There are only two of them left. Néné is worried: “ We have our families to take care of, and we also take care of ourselves. We really need this money », insists Nené.
A few meters away, at the Escale market, an old dilapidated colonial building, it’s the same desolation for the sellers who are desperately waiting for customers… Fatoumata Konté has worked there for 30 years. “ We might win up to 50,000 francs, but today we barely earn 20,000. Look at the tables! We no longer sell. Before, people came here in the morning to buy lemons, seafood or smoked fish before boarding. Now they go to the bus station or take a plane and can’t take much. »
From boat to bus
The rotation took place four times a week, and represented a large part of the market’s clientele. Travelers now rely on the bus, as do traders who want to send their products to Dakar. The islands of the Casamance River took advantage of the boat stopping on the island of Carabane to sell their goods.
Amy Gueye, a fish processor on the island of Diogué, lost a lot of money. “ I pay 70 kilos today at 13 000 CFA francs, plus the bearer, 2 000 », or nearly 15,000 CFA francs. Previously, she paid half this amount to send her smoked fish to Dakar, around 7,000 CFA francs. The Senegalese capital represents a large part of its sales.
And for the moment, no date is known for the resumption of boat connections. “ I even called the one who is in Carabane. He told me that he [n’a pas de nouvelles] Of the boat. He does not know why. We’re still waiting. », she regrets.
The boat contributes greatly to opening up the Casamance, a southern region, separated from the rest of the country by the Gambia. The tourist season will resume in November, and all economic players hope for the resumption of connections by then.
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