• Burkina Faso cuts road checkpoints from 385 to 40 nationwide
• New system distinguishes between document and security controls
• Aims to ease trade delays, cut costs, and boost regional mobility
  

Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Security announced Wednesday that it is drastically reducing the number of operational road checkpoints across the country. From 385 checkpoints recorded in November 2024, only 40 are now authorized to operate along 15 main arteries, with nine axes designated exclusively for security checks. These posts will remain flexible based on operational needs, seeking to balance the free movement of people and goods with public security requirements.

The Ministry established two distinct types of controls: Documentary Control, limited to administrative papers (national ID, driver's license, vehicle registration, insurance, etc.), and Security Control, which includes searching vehicles and cargo and identifying occupants to prevent threats to national security.

This action addresses a major regional problem. World Bank studies have consistently highlighted the proliferation of road checkpoints across Western, Central, and Eastern Africa. These stops typically increase travel and border crossing times, sometimes from a few hours to several days. This proliferation creates bottlenecks, increases pollution, and causes major delays that harm both local populations and international transport operators.

In a 2018 study titled "Breaking Down the Barriers to Regional Agricultural Trade in Central Africa," the World Bank revealed the significant impact of this phenomenon on the final prices of agricultural goods moving through the CEMAC corridors (Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Gabon). The report found that roadside harassment—typically caused by police, gendarmerie, customs, or road safety agents—can account for up to 14% of the final price of agricultural products along the corridor between Cameroon and Gabon. In that specific case, these road fees nearly equaled five times the producer's profit margin.

Henoc Dossa