It is 7:30 am, this Sunday, September 12, 2021 when we leave Ouagadougou leaving for Balavé, a village located in the province of Banwa, region of the Mouhoun loop.For our journey we have decided to borrow a public transport company in the square, moreover the only one to make the Ouagadougou- Solenzo trip.
From Ouaga to Nouna, the trip goes without hitch.Some passengers exchange in a low voice with their neighbors, others were silent in silence, lost in their thoughts, some abandon themselves in the arms of Morpheus.There are also those who admire the beauty of nature, the gaze fixed on the landscape that scrolls.
The trip is chopped by many stops, in small localities, to disembark or take passengers whose destinations are the localities located on the route.Police checks, due to growing insecurity, and the Peak Papi also punctuate the trip.
Fear that not arriving at their destination
The course to Nouna Ville is a long, quiet river.But at the end of Nouna, the bitumen has disappeared, giving way to a jumper road.The Calvary of the Passengers of the bus begins.The calm that reigned in the bus immediately gives way to panic.The tremors vibrate the vehicle, forcing the driver of the bus to adapt his conduct to the movement of the bus which has never been stable until destination again.Like a canoe, the bus tank from Nouna, therefore arousing stress and anxiety on the passengers' faces.
The cabin suddenly becomes silent.Only the buzzing of the bus engine was heard.The engine speed changes, its noise becomes heavier.The bus visibly has difficulty taming the way.Passengers no longer know where to turn, swinging in all directions to the rhythm of tremors.The Nouna-Solenzo axis is dotted with pitfalls that cause death psychosis.Suddenly, a cry rises in the car.It is that of a passenger who is "afraid of not arriving alive", before adding in the dioula language "Allah ka in dèmè" "God protects us".
As if these violent tremors are not enough to make the journey painful, we must now face one of the major concerns of regulars of the Nouna-Solenzo axis: the famous "Bagala" bridge, which is not far from the eponymous village.For all users on this path, this bridge is a real nightmare.To reach the destination, no other solution exists for the traveler, except to cross it, at his own risk.The Bagala bridge, when it rains, is engulfed by the waters to such an extent that we can hardly see the tags showing the limits of the work.It feels like a dam.
- Un bus de transport en commun peinant à se frayer un chemin
Crossing the border
Not knowing the strength that has the current of Bagala water, the transport company decides not to cross it for more precautions.As the bridge approaches, passengers disembark and cross, helped by young people from the region who master the bridge well, for a sum of 6000 CFAFRA per passenger, or 3,000 francs for luggage and 3,000 francs for thecrossing.On the other side, another because, coming from Solenzo, awaits them.
"You know the level of water even has dropped a little now.There was a time when, on this same bridge, if these young people asked you to pay even ten miles francs to make you cross, you will give them this sum without flinching.The water level was breathtaking, "said Lady X, a passenger.
She continues: "We wonder if the country is really governed, our children lose their lives in this water current from drowning but nothing is done.It is to believe that the authorities want us to bury all of our sons one by one until the last, it is not very much, since the latter do not even have their sons in the country.During the electoral campaigns, they have very honeyed mouths with promises to sleep just so that we can elect them.They come with similarities of tractors to scrape a few parts of the track and then we no longer see them.It’s really disappointing and revolting.Afterwards, they are surprised when the country bathes in organized crime, if our children cannot manage by themselves, it is clear that they will go back to banditry to get out of it ".
- Des voyageurs obligés de faire un marathon, faute de bonnes voies
The front passengers, to cross the bridge, do not fail to thank the driver for the effort and the work provided from Ouaga to Bagala."May God bless you my son, good return to you, take this amount to pay you a drink" we hear, or even "the transport company should be decorated for this wonderful job that it provides".
We are tired of the media
"I have been a truck driver for over five years now, and I travel most of the time the Ouaga-Solenzo axis.The poor road state has really no period in this area, whether in the dry or rainy season.However, we suffer more in the rainy season.You have seen for yourself the state of degradation of the path.From the Bagala bridge, we are forced to cross our customers on foot and even worse they must almost have the price of the ticket to Ouaga to be able to pass, ”says the driver of the bus, Abdoul-Karim Sidibé."I am obliged after each trip to bring the bus to the garage for a revision, imagine how much we suffer," he continues.
He assures that the authorities have been aware of the problem for a long time that protest marches have been organized, but nothing has changed."Frankly, we are tired of anything from the authorities and even the media.Just last week a media was there to collect our feelings concerning this path.This media comes regularly here to report on the area.He makes us talk but nothing changes, ”fulminates Abdoul-Karim Sidibé.
Once the Bagala bridge has passed, another endurance test is starting: Unauter Driver is responsible for driving passengers safely.The bus resumes its junk crossing.Believing to be at the end of their surprises, after the fright of Bagala, the passengers must once again descend, this time to cross what the regulars of the zone nicknamed the "Red Sea".
Indeed, the path on which they are recognized to be a very dangerous way because very slippery and full of mud.Several times, people have got into it.The passengers then descend from the bus to start a 2 -kilometer marathonsur in the gada and the puddles of red rain water, which inspired the nickname "the Red Sea", attributed to the area.Meanwhile, slowly, the bus tries to make its way in the middle of this mud, the roar of the bus engine is still more beautiful.
"I remember that we have once, during a trip, market in this area to Solenzo station.We walked approximately 4 to 5 kilometers that day and I remember that at one point, I had to remove my shoes from pumps to walk barefoot.Since then, I have always been traveling relaxed with sneakers' shoes, ”says a busy bus in a big laugh.After this marathon worthy of an Olympic competition, the passengers return to the bus, the shoes filled with red earth.They hope only one thing: to arrive in Solenzo in one piece.After half an hour, we finally arrive in Solenzo around 6:20 p.m..
- Le pont de Bagala immergé par les eaux de pluie
Over 2:30 am to cover 25km
It is 6.30 p.m. when we leave Solenzo to reach our sworn final destination.This time the scenario that takes shape is quite different.The journey is made on motorcycles, because the public transport company that we borrowed is limited to Solenzo.
After more than 2:30 minutes of excruciating suffering, we arrive in order to sweep around 9 p.m..The Balavé's paramedic tells us that he encounters enormous difficulties in evacuating his patients, given the state of degradation of the way.
"I am the only one to evacuate the patients from the whole area.We have only one ambulance.Suddenly, I have to offer my services as soon as the need arises.I implore the pity of our rulers to help us because we suffer, "begs Michel Konaté, ambulancer in Balavé.
We ask M.Konaté if he has already, during an evacuation, known to particular difficulties with a patient or even a death due to the state of the road.He is first embarrassed, before answering us in the negative.
A few moments after the ambulancer's departure, an old lady who followed our exchanges and wanting to keep anonymous revelations that are cold in the back."He doesn't tell you the truth.I remember that once, a lady under transfer for a health district gave birth in the ambulance before they arrive at destination.One of our grandsons too was amputate a leg because the ambulance dragged before arriving at the hospital.There are so many examples, but I prefer not to add more, "she says.
Why did the ambulancers refrain from talking about his problems?Does he have a reason that he alone knows?Is he afraid of losing his job?All these questions will certainly answer.However, only one thing is clear and clear: the Mouhoun loop region suffers from the lack of road infrastructure.
Patricia Coulibaly (intern) Lefaso.net
