In Fouladou, the movement of people and goods constitutes a serious problem due to the impassability of certain roads. Even if the commune of Kolda is relatively equipped with paved roads, this is not the case for the rest of the department, especially the axis which connects Kolda and Medina Yoro Foulah, more than 50 km long. Borrowing it is a real ordeal.
December morning in Foulado. The cool weather that has begun to settle in the area over the past few days is forcing some people to wrap themselves up in their sweaters and warm clothes. Meanwhile, others position themselves in strategic corners to take advantage of the first rays of the sun. The air is partially infested with the smell of coffee and cigarettes smoked by certain touts looking for customers. In front of the main gate of the bus station, some of them launch their famous messages of seduction to attract potential travelers. Inside, it’s rather quiet, because only the area reserved for passengers bound for Medina Yoro Foulah is lively. Three vehicles are parked there. Next to it, an adjacent tent houses the touts’ place made up of benches on either side.
Splendid forest of Guimara
A white “seven-seater” bush taxi, loaded with goods, is about to leave after the boarding of its last customer to challenge the forest of Guimara. In addition to the driver, nine other passengers are on board. A rare reality, normalized in this station. “We are used to this. You have to be tolerant and understanding! », says Ousmane Baldé, a young trader, who came the day before to get supplies in Kolda. After ten minutes of happiness on the asphalt road, the fifty-year-old driver, Boubabcar Diallo, embarks on a difficult track. This is the beginning of the ordeal to reach Medina Yoro Foulah.
The dense forest alternates with beautiful small villages, the spectacle of wild animals crossing the road. Added to this are the herds of grazing cows, fields and ponds. A laterite carpet that often turns white stretches as far as the eye can see. It is a trace of a construction site whose work has been stopped since 2018, according to residents of the area. “At one point, we thought we had forgotten our worries about being isolated. But our joy only lasted a few moments,” reveals Salimata Diallo, user of the axis, before continuing: “you yourself saw it, because you traveled with us.”
Taking a laterite road means facing clouds of dust that stain travelers and local villagers. Thus, it is rare or even impossible not to absorb it and escape coughing. Amadou Ndiaye, an employee of a non-governmental organization which has a base in Medina Yoro Foulah, did not hesitate to tease the driver. “Every time I take this road, severe coughing attacks me,” he says. But old Boubacar, mask on his face, was quick to respond. “Imagine what we drivers go through every day,” he retorts with a little burst of laughter, his hands on the steering wheel. A little joy in the fun! However, if customers complain about the situation, there are no ones more worried than the drivers.
Thierno Koïta is one. He knows the roughness of the road to the nearest centimeter, with its countless ravines and bends from having traveled it for years. The section is so impassable that, in one day, only four vehicles from each bus station manage to provide the connection between Kolda and Medina Yoro Foulah. “This road is impassable. Moreover, this is why some drivers prefer to bypass it and take the Fafacourou-Médina Yoro Foulah axis via Dabo or Pata,” he explains. The route presents a lot of dangers too. Indeed, alongside the poor quality of the road, schools in certain villages, located near the road, increase the risk of accidents, explains Salimata Diallo. “We must take measures in relation to traffic to avoid hitting children. And any solution starts with asphalting the road and then installing speed bumps,” she advises.
The question of opening up Medina Yoro Foulah continues to arise over the years. Indeed, designated as the “new peanut basin”, providing solutions and facilitating the movement of people and goods is becoming an emergency. The new peanut basin Especially since this part of the country, known for the quality of its arable land, occupies a prominent place in the South Pole of the 2050 benchmark developed by the new regime, hence the hope of the mayor, Kalidou Sy, who has been back since 2014. According to the councilor, steps have been taken, but without reaction from the authorities. “The Kolda-Médina Yoro Foulah axis passing through Biniarabé and Koulinto is the shortest, lasting a little over 50 km.
So, it is the priority to open up our department; which means a revitalization of economic activity. Any action other than tarring this road is useless,” he explains. He hopes, however, for a change with the new authorities. During the meeting of “patriots” on November 2, as part of the legislative elections, the head of the list and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko promised solutions to the populations concerned. “Opening up the Kolda-Medina Yoro Foulah axis is one of our priorities,” he said. A statement well received by the crowd. While waiting for this promise to materialize, people are impatient to see the end of the tunnel, a source of joy and hope.
By Tidiane SOW (KOLDA, Correspondent)
