At the call of the Burkina 2050 Consortium, a march was held on Saturday March 26 in Ouagadougou to demand the cancellation of the concession agreement that binds Burkina Faso to Sitarail, a subsidiary of the French group Bolloré. The consortium accuses the latter of several shortcomings: for more than 20 years, Burkina Faso received nothing from the operation of the Abidjan-Kaya railway. The demonstrators appeal to the deputies.
With our correspondent in Ouagadougou, Yaya Boudani
Leaving from the railway station, carrying banners, the demonstrators chanted slogans demanding the termination of any contract with the Bolloré group for the management of the railway. Moutaga Traoré is the general secretary of the union of retirees from Burkina Faso Railway :
” The calamitous management of Sitarail (International African Rail Transport Company) must end. There are bereaved, bereaved families, children who no longer go to school… They are left to their own devices. »
Djenebou Oedraogo, she is from the association of traders installed at the railway station: ” Let Bolloré go! We are tired ! Our husbands are retired but have no pension! The train no longer works, so no more business at the station! Our children no longer go to school! There is no more money to pay school fees and to eat! »
The demonstrators have launched a petition to collect 15,000 signatures which will be sent to MPs. According to Nestorine Sangaré, Consortium Burkina 2050 coordinator, the railway has brought nothing to Burkina Faso for 27 years:
” We demand the cancellation of all agreements – initial agreement and revised concession agreement of 2016 – for the serious breaches of the economic, financial and social obligations agreed with the Burkinabè State in the management of heritage. »
These protesters are asking Parliament to ensure that the government takes over the management of rail transport and hands it over to other people who can maintain the quality of service.