The city is theirs. To these two-wheelers wrapped in bubble wrap that protects the bodywork from scratches. Ziguinchor is covered in sunshine, misery and “jakarta”, the nickname given to the countless motorcycle taxis. It is on the back of one of these mounts that the capital of Casamance, the southernmost region of Senegal, is discovered and listened to. And that we also understand the intensity of the riots which began on June 1 after the conviction of the mayor of Ziguinchor, Ousmane Sonko, to two years in prison for “corruption of youth”. A political plot, according to him, which excludes him from the presidential election of February 2024.
Five dead and eleven wounded by gunshot, according to the town hall. Ziguinchor is in mourning and remains wounded by four days of clashes between young people ready to “sacrifice” themselves for their leader and the police. At 30 km/h, we see the police continue to monitor the Total stations, soldiers guarding that of Santhiaba as if it were a branch of the Banque de France. We can see ransacked schools or buildings, burnt bitumen in places. During revolts, only “jakarta” drivers could squeeze through the barricades. At funerals, they accompanied the funeral processions en masse and managed traffic.
On a motorcycle, you feel surrounded by nature. Casamance is abundance, green Senegal, unlimited mangoes which, between two modest barracks, fall from the branches like an uninterrupted rain; tons of cashews spread all over the sidewalks to dry; plenty of honey sold in plastic bottles.
Neither permit nor insurance
On board a “jakarta”, we can also guess two Ziguinchor. That of the historic city center first, a mixture of a Portuguese and French colonial past, bordering the Casamance river. The arteries bear names reminiscent of this story: avenue Carvalho, rue de France… When Ousmane Sonko, known for his sovereignist speeches, took over the mayor’s office in February 2022, he chose to rename certain roads considered an “offense to our national dignity”. The “Rue du General de Gaulle” then became “Rue de la paix”.
The other side of “Zig” brings together Lyndiane, Boucotte or Néma 2. A large part of the roads in these working-class neighborhoods are still covered with sand, only “jakarta” can venture there. In a few minutes, these motorcycle taxis connect the two Ziguinchors for 300 CFA francs (0.46 euros) – not even enough to buy a can of Coca-Cola (350 CFA francs).
It’s hard to make a fortune crisscrossing Ziguinchor on two wheels. But in a region where the unemployment rate exceeds 20% and poverty exceeds 50%, motorcycle taxis are one of the few “exit routes” for young people, graduates or not. Foreigners, teenagers, teachers looking for extra pay… Everyone can do this job. No license – some barely know how to drive – or insurance is required, all you have to do is pay the municipal tax of 3,000 CFA francs each month.
In Bignona, a town north of Ziguinchor, there is even a woman, the only one from Casamance, who drives this kind of taxi. Tina Colly, 34, extremely shy, has been a “jakarta-woman” since 2009. To support her family, this former footballer takes only a few days off. “Customers tell me I drive well,” she blurts out.
The National Union of Motorcycle Taxis Associations of Senegal estimates that there are 10,000 “jakarta-men” in Ziguinchor, out of the 321,000 in the country. “Almost one in ten young people lives thanks to this activity”, underlines its president, Ansoumana Badji, 41 years old. With a bright smile, this former salesman, with a degree in sociology but who has never found a job in his sector, has been driving his KTM brand scooter since 2016.
He works from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. to earn an average of 80,000 CFA francs per month (122 euros), a little more than the minimum wage in Senegal. “But since there are a lot of motorcycles, we have to work a long time to have customers”, explains this father. And to make the volume, because the prices of the races are very cheap: 300, 500 or 1,000 CFA francs, depending on the distance. Fortunately, Ansoumana Badji has its own “jakarta”; otherwise, he would have had to rent it and pay the owner 12,500 CFA francs per week.
“We are essential”
On his craft, “Presi”, as he is called, does not complain. On the contrary, pride is felt with every throttle. He likes to ride – with his helmet on – picking up random customers and talking to them. “We are complementary to taxis. And we go everywhere, in all weathers, he adds. We are indispensable, our profession has become vital. »
The work is however painful on the bumpy roads of Ziguinchor: the hands tremble with each run because of the bad surface, the back pulls at the end of the day. Not to mention the dust and coal-black exhaust fumes that drivers swallow every day. After the rainy season, the roads will be more damaged, the fault of the burnt tires during the riots, which dug the asphalt. “We are too vulnerable,” laments Ansoumana Badji. He wants drivers to be better trained in the rules of the road to avoid the many accidents, but is this a real concern?
Because this job is above all about quick money. “A lot of teenagers stop school to do this job,” grumbles Ansoumana Badji. I’m against. We must fight against school dropout for the good of our country. In February 2022, Ousmane Sonko had also challenged the youth of his city to tell them that “jakarta” was not “the only option”, that it was also necessary to turn to other activities such as “the ‘agriculture’ or ‘poultry’. “There are so many things to do. You have to accept to suffer a little, ”he said. “I didn’t like that speech. Our profession is difficult, with its disappointments and its successes. For me, the jakarta-men are brave,” argues Ansoumana Badji.
He talks about one of his friends, Abdou Salam, with a childish smile, a former motorcycle taxi driver. Since 2019, this 30-year-old has had his spare parts shop. “I worked twenty hours a day and with the money I saved, I bought two plots of land, my shop and I even got married,” he laughs. Jakarta saved my life. In Ziguinchor, he saved all of our lives. »