Identity Cards
People are trying various means of earning money in a hard
climate. One of the least laudable is the identity card scam perpetrated by the
minor officials in charge of this service which is reported from every town in
Mali: It used to cost 1500 FCFA (E2.30) to get an identity card, including the
pictures. Since the war started it is not possible to travel without an identity
card- people have been thrown in jail or worse for not being able to prove
their identity. So now the cards have increased tenfold in price (unofficially
of course) and it is doubtful whether you would be able to get one for 15 000
FCFA (E23) today.
posted by toubab at 4:45 AM
2 Comments:
Your posts these days have an extraordinary duality - usually a good story followed by a bad one or vice versa. I guess this is a reflection of changed times in Mali - but, as always, how refreshing to get the balance rather than the black or white press stories.
Ah, David, this place has always been a place of duality- it is either absolutely fantastic or utterly miserable! And with the war the ups and downs have become even higher and deeper...Birgit calls Mali "The Square Root of Emotional Rollercoasters"!
Post a Comment
<< Home