Hi Andy,
We were aware that the bridge toll was to be the only charge, but the Mauritanian police were one of the groups at the border that were charging money. We stalled for at least 2 hours on all payments on the Mauritanian side, and it was only the b*llsh!t communal tax that we could avoid.
On the Senegalese side it was also the police asking for 10 euros per passport, not the customs.
I speak some French, but perhaps not enough to avoid the corruption in this case. Does anyone who has been through recently perhaps have some advice on how to get across the border without paying? What do you say in these instances to keep the bureacracy moving?
Is it just a case of stonewalling for hours, or do we need to brush up on our French. I have enough to explain that I don't think the tax is genuine, that they are corrupt, that the amount is too much and I won't pay. That wasn't enough last week though.
Cheers,
Dan
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