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February 07, 2006

Ouagadougou - the big smoke

On 17 Feb, I will fly back into Ouagdougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso.

The Big Smoke
Known affectionately as Ouaga, the capital of Burkina has a population of about 1 million, and is a city like most other capitals, where everything can be bought - if you have the money. There are of course the banks, hotels, restaurants, swimming pools, etc that are necessary to keep the western businessmen, development workers, embassy staff, and of course missionaries able to cope with life in Africa... But since my first visits in 1985, and my installation in 1989, it has developed considerably. Now you can find parts of town with car showrooms and fancy boutiques that clearly cater not only to westerners, but also to the growing Burkinabe middle class and elite.

At the same time, while there are not the vast slums you find in many other countries, there are the "non-loti" parts of town - the unplanned sprawls of mud-brick or cement houses and yards filled with communities of family members and friends trying to survive in the big city. You see them selling coffee or second-hand clothes at the side of the road, or bras and phone cards at the stop lights. Ouaga used to be "moped city", where the roads swarmed with what seemed like thousands of little motor scooters that jostled for their little bit of road space, and belching out Ouaga's own "big smoke". There are still a lot of them around, but many of the moped riders seem to have moved up in the world - there are certainly many more cars now than ever there were before. It was always a bit of a shock, and even nerve-racking, arriving from Gorom-Gorom on my motorbike. After months of open, empty country roads, the traffic of Ouaga felt claustrophobic and dangerous.

The wealth of culture
Most of Burkina's 60+ different peoples can be found mingling in the capital - each bringing something of their own culture to add to the mix. In the Fulani parts of town, the crowded yards also usually have several cows squeezed into the available space. But Ouaga is really Mossi territory. The Mossi are the main people in Burkina, traditionally farmers, and are generally very hospitable and friendly. Although, like cities everywhere, Ouaga does not always reflect the best of its people, the values of hospitality, respect, and community of the village are often still very evident.

Ouagadougou was the capital of the powerful Mossi kingdom from the 15-19th centuries. The Mossi were one of the few tribes to effectively resist the Fulani armies and their call to become Muslims en masse. Today, Islam is increasingly strong there, but there are also many Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, and the religions generally live peacefully alongside each other. The Protestant church in Ouagadougou is evangelical, vibrant and growing, with some very large churches.

In addition, Ouagadougou has become famous for two main cultural events that draw crowds from all over Africa and even the world. One is the biennial FESPACO, Africa's biggest film festival, which I wrote about here. In the intervening years is SIAO, Africa's largest craft fair. Both are dynamic and exciting events, bringing much-deserved attention to the wealth of Burkinabe art and culture.

Generally I prefer the quiet life of Gorom-Gorom and the villages, but I usually enjoyed my visits to the capital for a break and a rest. Ouaga has changed so much since I moved up north in 1992, and there are parts of town I hardly know now. It will be interesting to see how much more it has developed since I left.

Tags: africa burkina burkina faso ouagadougou mossi fulani fespaco siao

Posted by Keith at February 7, 2006 06:22 PM

Comments

Posted by: helge at February 8, 2006 12:21 AM

Posted by: Keith at February 8, 2006 09:35 AM

Posted by: helge at February 8, 2006 10:04 PM