On September 22, 2026, a group of journalists participated in an immersion program at the Bobo-Dioulasso regional office of the Burkinabè Cargo Council (CBC) in the Guiriko region. This visit was part of a press caravan organized by the CBC to educate the public about its activities along the roads connecting Burkina Faso to Côte d'Ivoire and Mali. The journalists gained insight into the institution's operations, its role in assisting transporters, and the mechanisms for monitoring goods entering and exiting the country.
The CBC's regional office in Bobo-Dioulasso covers the Guiriko, Tannounyan, and Djôrô regions and coordinates the activities of border bureaus in Niangoloko, Ouessa, Koloko, and Faramana. According to Thierry Hien, the regional director of the CBC in Guiriko, the institution's primary mission is to assist cargo owners and ensure a regular supply of goods to Burkina Faso. The CBC works with various public and private sector partners, including administrative services and transport chain actors, to achieve its objectives.
Bobo-Dioulasso's strategic location makes it a significant transit point for goods destined for or coming from neighboring countries. The corridor connecting Bobo-Dioulasso to Ouessa and then to Ghana is currently the most attractive for operators in the Guiriko region, due to the facilities offered by Ghanaian ports. The Ivoirian corridor ranks second, with the ports of San Pedro and Abidjan. Additionally, Bobo-Dioulasso serves as a transit point for goods from Mali, particularly through the axes serving the Koloko and Faramana borders.
The CBC has been based in Bobo-Dioulasso since the 1980s and was established as a regional office in 2012. A significant part of the CBC's activities involves tracking traffic documents, including the Road Traffic Follow-up Document (BSTR), which accompanies road transport operations of goods. The CBC also issues documents for monitoring transit, rail, and air traffic. These documents enable the institution to have data on goods movements, which helps produce transport statistics and ensure cargo traceability.
The cost of documents issued by the CBC varies depending on the type of traffic and the nature of the operation. For example, the BSTR costs 15,000 F CFA per loaded truck for imports and 8,000 F CFA per loaded truck for exports. The Transit Traffic Follow-up Document (BSTT) costs 2,500 F CFA per loaded truck. The CBC also issues a Vehicle Import Follow-up Document (BSVI) for 25,000 F CFA per vehicle. In rail transport, the Rail Traffic Follow-up Document (BSTF) costs 2,500 F CFA per loaded wagon.
Despite its efforts, the CBC's regional director, Thierry Hien, notes that transporters still face difficulties, including the state of road infrastructure, particularly on certain sections connecting Bobo-Dioulasso to neighboring countries' borders. However, ongoing work on several axes is expected to gradually improve goods circulation conditions. Hien also highlights the issue of some transporters' lack of knowledge about regulations and required documents, which can lead to difficulties at borders and penalties.
To address these challenges, the CBC conducts training and awareness sessions to improve transporters' and logistics chain actors' understanding of mechanisms and regulations. The institution also encourages transporters to proactively seek information from the CBC before starting transport activities. The data collected by the CBC contributes to the production of statistics on transport and international trade, enabling the tracking of cargo from the port of embarkation to the port of disembarkation and, in some cases, to the consignee's warehouse.
Key points
- The Burkinabè Cargo Council plays a crucial role in monitoring goods entering and exiting Burkina Faso.
- The institution faces challenges, including inadequate road infrastructure and transporters' lack of knowledge about regulations.
- The CBC's activities contribute to the production of statistics on transport and international trade.
