Hi

I have some friends who are in the Rooso border and they are not allowed to enter in Senegal because the vehicles are more than 5 years old (1 Defender, 1 Discovery and 2 Series). I am posting this in order to know if anybody has any knowledge about this situation and to help them solving their situation.
They are in an humanitarian expedition to deliver some medicins in Dakar and very tight on time.

Thanks

Francisco

Hi Francisco,

Check your e-mail.
I've sent you a message in portuguese.

Good luck,
José

__________________
Desert Crocodiles of Mauritania: http://cibio.up.pt/crocodilos/en

Not sure what the portuguese message would have said, but AFAIK the problem is only with selling older vehicles, not importing them.

More likely this is one of the ever-irritating Rosso scams - try driving along the dyke piste to Diama and cross there - Rosso is without a doubt treh arsehole of West Africa and well avoided... see the thread at http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000902.html

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Peter Strong
www.iricon.com/camel
A tour of Land Rover Garages in Africa

Im afraid it isnt a scam. From July 23rd it seems no cars over 5 years are allowed to enter Senegal unless they have a carnet. Its a law which has been threatened since 2001 and seems to have been implemented now. I heard about this a week or so ago but thought it was to bizarre to be true. There is a lot of opposition in Senegal to it but it may take time to sort it out.

I would advise your friends to either contact their embassy in Dakar or the senegalise embassy in Nouakchott.

There is more info on this in www.sahara-info.ch in german.

My friends told me that it wasn't a scam, they went to Diama border and they weren't allowed to enter in Senegal. They solved their situation by leaving the medicins at the border, where someone will pick them.

I think this is the confirmation of Kevin's post...

>>They solved their situation by leaving the >>medicins at the border, where someone will >>pick them.

Yep , the Police officers at the border , will -with no doubt- custodie and handle those medicines to their intended owners. -and at no "charge" . They are so helpfull ! , and honest ...



Well , Any idea what will happen to vehicles in Gambia (which is entirely surrounded by Senegal ) . Wont ' they be allowed to leave Gambia then? If that's the situation , then I am f*ckd. Me , and lots of others wich left the car in Sukutas' Long Term Car Park !

BTW : Is it a "Senegal only" , or -even worse- all CFA area ?

On the other hand , I find difficult to believe that "with good manners , a smile , and a good bribe" one can not make it trhought Ndiago . If I be there , Id wait for the next shift officers , and so , and so .. . I think that sonner or later , for an adecuate ammount of cash , someone @ the border will "issue" a temporary Pass Avant

Have a nice day

Any solution to the import problem yet? Today one participant of Plymouth-Dakar called to the Senegal embassy in London. The embassy claims there is no such rule, and all vehicles are welcome.
Is this a case of overseas civil servants not knowing what's happening on the ground? Or are the rules "invented" by Rosso and Diama staff?

Jan

The rule is definite, cars up to 5 years and trucks (seemingly everything above 3.5 tonnes but this hasnt been confirmed) up to 10 years, with the exception of this no one gets in, no excuses, no bribes. I've spoken to a lot of people in Senegal the last couple of weeks, including two senior civil servants in the customs in St Louis and Dakar, and know people who have passed Senegal 6 days ago and the rule sticks.

There is the possibility tio take a "customs convoy" through Senegal to Gambia, Conakry or Bissau. What happens is that as customs official travels in your car to make sure you dont try to sell it. I have taken several convoys from Dakar port to The border and everytime things have gone very smoothly. The cost to Gambia seems to be CFA155,000 according to a post on www.sahara-info.ch which seems about right. To Bissau its CFA180,000 and to Conakry about the same. The convoy travels along a pre detirmined route. It is possible to hve up to four cars in a convoy, after this there is a need for a second official. This way at least some of the costs can be shared. If you go to the Gambia you will also need another convoy to get out again.

The law in itself is mad, even for African standards, and it is politically motivated, not economically. I hope it will change at the end of the year, when the first wave of french tourists come down and start to get peed off waiting in Rosso. If they put enough pressure´on their embassy in Dakar it could be they change the law allowing cars over 5 years to enter but not to be registered. I suppose we will have to wait and see.

That the embassy in london knows nothing about it doesnt surprise me.

Hi,
let's just clarify this; Kevin, your first post said unless you have a carnet. That's still valid I hope?
If the embassy is clueless (something it appears is fairly normal) where does the official info filter down from?
Cheers
Luke

Sorry for any confusion Luke, at the beginning I was told that its possible with a carnet, but there are conflicting reports on other web sites about this. I have tried to find out but to be honest right now I really do not know, but I'm ringing people in Dakar next week so I'll try to find out.

The "official info" is from people I know in Senegal who work in the government and some Senegalise papers on the web. There are also a couple of postings on www.sahara-info.ch from people I know who are reliable.

What I need is a first hand account from somebody I know who has been there and not some second or third hand info, this I don't have yet.

If you're French try ringing, faxing or e-mailing the embassy in Dakar or the consul in St Louis, it would be interesting to find out.

Sorry again for any confusion.

Life should get quite interesting when the 70 or so cars on the Plymouth-Dakar Challenge rock up in early Jan??!!

Given the 'car must be worth less than £100' rule, all of them are going to be over 5 years old...

Sam.