Senegal - Diamma Update
 

Hello,

We crossed the border into Senegal at Diamma yesterday, here is some up to date info for anyone going this way.

Piste - It's easy and smooth all the way, few bumps and holes here and there, but really nothing. Perhaps a little trickier in a car, but on a bike it's a breeze.

Mauritanian border - About 10km before you reach the border there is a 'checkpoint' charging 5 euros per person 'park tax' for the National Park. We stood and negotiated for some time, but there seemed to be no reprieve. The receipt book was unfortunately empty and so a receipt could not be issued, though they assured us that other people had been given a receipt.

At the border, the police charged 10 euros per bike and 20 euros per car. This is double the previous rate and we were told it covers the 'overtime' rate for the police since the post is open 24 hours. Obviously this accommodates the well known 4am rush at Diamma!

The customs then charge 10 euros per rider/driver. We didn't crumble quickly to either of these demands and the Mauritanian officials became increasingly abrupt, receipts were available from both police and customs. It seemed neither charge was negotiable, maybe someone else has recent experience here too?

Finally we were asked to pay the communal tax for the village, which may or may not be real but since I'd already forked out 50 euros I'd had enough. The charge started at 5 euros per vehicle, then went to 3 euros, then 500UM, then finally 300UM per vehicle. The final amount then was small, but it felt like we were being taken for a ride so we waited it out for a while and they let us through with no payment.

Once through to the Senegal side, the bridge fee is 8 euros or 4000CFA per vehicle regardless of bike or car. The Senegalese police charge 10 euros per passport, nobody else asked us for money.

If you want some brief entertainment, make the bridge guy wait for his money, he locked the barrier and was purple with rage by the time we agreed to pay. Sorry if our obstinacy makes it difficult for any future travellers, but I figured if we gave up and paid everything at the first request it wouldn't help either.

A note about insurance, the Carte Brune insurance is available at the cafe at the Diamma post and is valid from Senegal to Nigeria inclusive. We paid 42.5 euros per motorbike for 2 months cover.

Hope this is useful.

yes all good stuff thanks - we're about a week behind you, just about to leave Nouadhibou tomorrow morning and have a bit of sight seeing to do before heading to Diarma.

Take care and ride safe...

The ONLY official payment to make when leaving Mauritania via Diama is the 4000CFA for the toll bridge. When I passed through in January the Mauritanian police specifically told me NOT to pay the customs officers their bribe! The Senegalese police and customs did not ask for anything. DO NOT PAY THESE PEOPLE, IT IS CORRUPTION!
Andy.

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

Hi Dan, I found that speaking no French was the best option! They seemed to get fed up pretty quickly then. I also told them that it was a serious offence in the UK to pay money to police/customs etc and that people go to prison for it and that was why I wouldn't pay :thumbup1:

Andy.

Hello all,

It has been a while since I've been here but i've got some news on the diamma crossing:

The piste with a truck like ours is good until half way. There is construction going on and after there ist not so good anymore (slow going but not tricky)

At the end of the park is is a Gendarmerie post and a guy that says you have to pay for the park. We asked the gendarmerie guy if this is true and he sayd he did't want to get involved. After threats with the police and you will never get across the border we took the risk not paying up and went to the border. Here we had no problems about the park.

At the Douane we stamped the carnet and this costed us 10 euro or the same in Ogouyo. This was with a receipt and we couldn't go without paying up so we had to.

At the Police they stamped the pasports and then askes if we wanted to pay 10euro's and I sayd NO. So then I could go.

Then we crossed the Barrage and the man at the pole say pay 12000CFA but after some talking this went down to 4000CFA (and I had to promise not to tell anyone) and this is the amount that We have heard more so we payd for this

The police on the senegal side also wanted 10euros and I did not want to give him this. He replied "but you are my friend" and I sayd back "yes you are but I don't give all my friends 10 euros") and then I could go.

On the senegal side they didn't want to stamp the carnet and issued a Laisser passez. This costed us 5000CFA. I found out later that on the receipt is commercial. For tourism it should cost 2500CFA.(on the border gambia - senegal they did stamp the carnet for free)

The insurance is difficult. I've been talking for 2.5 hours and I earned 4euros and did not want to take the risk driving without. In total it was 155euros for 6 month for all carte brune countries for a big truck.

Hope this helpes

Henk Jan

Carnet for Senegal
 

Paul Gowen from the RAC told me today that Senegal no longer officially accepts Carnets. The President of the local motoring club that administered the carnet guarantees unfortunately died and the club collapsed. The authorities then instituted a laissez passer which is now required. If you manage to enter with only a Carnet you may have a problem leaving.
Clive

We didn't have any problems to exit Senegal. but it was not the main borderpost at kidira but in the south at Kedougou. We entered Mali in Kenieba and there they did not want to stamp the carnet and we had to buy a laisser passez for the outragous amount of 9400CFA and they did not want to let us go no matter what I was talking. We've waited for 2 hours and tried anything but nothing was possible.

I know of another couple that entered Nioro and the carnet was stamped without any questions asked.

hope this helpes

Henk Jan

Crossed from Senegal into Mauritania two days ago at the Diama crossing, at no point did I pay any charges apart from buying ten days of insurance for my KTM for ten euros, The park fee is correct at 1000 ouguiya (there is a sign stating this). The police always ask for 4000 ouguiya, but they never get heavy, just be polite smile alot, and say you dont have it. Going the other way there is a douane fee for the moto, passage de leziv or something like that, thats 5000 cfa (senegal side). the bridge fee and community fee, well they are definate no pays, although going in we did have to get the police as he refused to lift barrier, after a quick word with the police it soon went up, gave him some biscuits for his tea knowing i was returning soon.

Just got through today the Mauritanian-morocco border and on the way in i know several people who had a hard time, but i didnt maybe i was just lucky. On the way out it took about from 9 when it opened to 10.30 riding out morocco side, took a little longer as they had to phone rabat to get me 30 days grace on the moto. Again absolutely nothing to pay.

good luck, and i think the secret is cross early rather than late on in the day.

stu

Hassle free @ Diamma
 

Wanted to share a positive story for crossing at Diamma with visa obtained in Nouakchott! The Start of the Piste is now being tarred, but it's not tarred all the way. I skipped off at one point and rode on the old piste(for 500m) before getting back onto the prepared gravel road that was still un tarred.

Mauritania:
2000UM for the park entrance (receipt with 2000 printed on it)
500UM for the communal tax (hand written receipt)
Gendarme asked kindly for a "cadeau", but nothing further. The young Douane officer asked for 10€, refused to stamp. I asked to speak to the boss, who just waved me through, no issues. Police, no issues, very nice!

Bridge across the river, 4000CFA official receipt, hand written. No hustlers.

Senegal:
Police hassled for a few minutes for 10€, but gave up quite quickly
Douane guy was really nice, didn't ask for a bribe and even stamped my Carnet! No passevant required. (My friend who crossed just before me suspected that the more troublesome officer had just left on his arrival)

Douane and Gendarme stopped us on the way to St. Louis, checked the Carnet and a bit of paperwork. No issues, just a nice chat about Senegalese football players and a quick introduction to wolof
Policeman south of St Louis just waved us by: no "violations for wrongly indicating!"

All in all, a great day. Lady luck was on our side today?

Africa on a KTM690 Overland Ride | Cornwall to Cape Town

See what happens when a government starts paying out decent regular salaries on time?
There's also been a several year long anti-corruption campaign in Mauretania.
A gendarm may yet ask for cadeau, but they are nice about it.
Police in Nouakchott can still be a pest, but they are mostly bothering the locals, not tourists.

Just heard from travellers that Diama was as bad as Rosso
but need more reports to confirm this.
I had no problem anywhere in Mauretania this trip, more relaxed than before.
But I never crossed into Senegal from Mauri-

I've crossed this border (Diama) in December 2013: not a lot of travellers, almost easy, with just little backchich (10Euros).
I think Rosso is worse.
RR.

our experience (beginning of Feb)
 

Not much to comment/add.

We paid about 35EUR/bike. I did not give any gifts but some officers said that this xyz service costs something and yes I do want to enter Senegal... so I paid.

Insurance (carte brun) 90EUR for 6months. (Yesterday one police control asked me for it!)
I heard later that you get 15EUR for 2 months in Dakar.

Customs did not stamp our carnet, so I ended up riding to Dakar to get this done there. The boss was the guy in the jogging outfit. Maybe I was to tired for another round of small talk - who knows?

The unpaved road was a bit heavy for our sidecar and the V-Strom, but we made it. It takes some time and patience. Better to slow down and avoid a pothole.

I've done both Rosso and Diamma and believe me Rosso is a 1000 times worse. If I had to do it again I'd turn around and go somewhere else !!!!bier