Attempting to enter Niger via Assamaka, Dec 2009

[famous_walker]

Attempted to cross In Guezzam - Assamaka a few days ago. Had obtained Nigerien visa at the consulate in Tamanrasset, 3 days waiting, 4500DA. Asked the consul if the border was open and if the situation on the Assamaka-Arlit-Agadez route was ok. The answer was reassuring: there are no more convoys Assamaka-Arlit, so it must be relatively safe. There are still convoys Arlit-Agadez, twice a week.

Good. With these news I arrived at the border. Checked out of Algeria, no questions asked, no particular warning given in regard to Niger. I asked them in fact - the Alg border police told me everything is fine as far as they know.

Raced across to Assamaka. Different news there. The Chief (I couldn't figure what exactly he was chief of, as he was wearing plain clothes, but I figured he was chief of customs) insisted that he would only give me laisser-passer on the condition that I hire a private convoy to proceed to Arlit. He said without hiring a private military convoy he wouldn't let me into the country.

I anticipated some hard bargaining for the cost of a private convoy, but the figure he voiced was unimaginable. He said (after a lot of thinking, and even walking off 'to talk to the military') that I needed to hire two vehicles with fifteen soldiers on board to accompany me from Assamaka to Arlit, and that it would cost me 360.000 CFA (550 euros). I made it clear that I am not paying this kind of money, but I would be happy to hear another offer. He refused bargaining. He just said buy it or return to Algeria.

It didn't help that some other people in uniforms around him were drunk (possibly himself too but I am not sure), and they were all participating in this discussion. Those of you who've been at the Assamaka border crossing would easily imagine the pressure from all those people who descend upon you all at once. Whilst bargaining over the cost of the convoy I had to unload the entire contents of my vehicle on the ground, and was worried about a dozen hands going though my bags at once. Someone else took my passport, another the driving license, and the third (the drunk one) took my GPS and mobile phone. Oh-la-la.

In any case, I said that I have forgotten something on the Alg side (I actually did), and that I would think about their offer on the way to In Guezzam and back. I managed to get all my things and papers back, and drove back to Algeria.

The Algerian police and the customs took a couple of days to allow me to re-enter (I didn't have another visa, so technically I could not enter). They tried their best contacting their superiors and eventually succeeded in getting me back into the country again - they annulled the exit stamps somehow. I had to camp outside the border post of course, but that didn't worry me much, as I could see those guys were genuinely trying hard to help me. They were offering me food and drink, took good care of me, and didn't charge me anything for the re-entry.