There are also serious companies in africa who also pay out on claims. There was a story either here or on the old swiss forum about a year ago about two people in Atar whose insurance paid out.
Serious insurance companies in most countries do eventually pay out and having lived there for 8 years I have experienced it several times.
The insurance is almost always third party for non residents, but at least if you do kill or maim someone they stand some chance of a payout.
In Bamako I am aware of a case where an uninsured European killed a man late at night and killed him. He left the country illegally, the family were given what was left of his car as he wasn't insured, they sold it for scrap for about 600 euro. He was the main breadwinner, after that i don't know how they got on.
You don't have to buy insurance but if you spend thousands on going to Africa and then have an "up yours" attitude to things like insurance then thats your own problem.
There have also been a few cases where people weren't as lucky as Javier's mate and have spent a fair bit of time in african jails. Think about that too.
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