Central African Republic
2.4 Central African Republic Waterways Assessment
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Overview

For information on Port contact details, please see the following link:

4.8 Central African Republic Port and Waterways Company Contact List 

A landlocked country, the CAR is served by Ubangui, which is a major river transport route. However, traffic on this maritime route is confronted by low water (not allowing navigation of barges during dry season) and silting which slows down the navigability. For good management and maintenance of Ubangui and Congo rivers, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and RD.Congo and the other riparian states adopted in 2008 "the tripartite memorandum of understanding concerning the modalities of maintenance of the tracks waterways of common interest and the Cémac / DRC Code of Inland Navigation of December 1999". Desalination of the watercourse by dredging and marking is one of the proposed solutions. State charges are allocated by portion of watercourses, in accordance with the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding concerning the maintenance of waterways of common interest. This agreement provides the maintenance and marking of the Pool Malebo road (PK 10 to PK 50 in Maloukou) and the section between PK 50 on the Congo River and Mobenzele (PK 173 on Ubangui). From PK 339 of the Congo River, 10 km upstream from Bolobo to Liranga, maintenance and marking on the right bank are the responsibility of Congo and CAR. Oubangui's dredging and redevelopment operations since its confluence with the river to Bangui are also carried out by these two countries. The purpose of this work is to provide a maximum draft of 0.9 m in low water at the 1.2m scale at the threshold of Zinga. The tripartite agreement also provides for a permanent inspection mechanism on inland waterways, which is monitored by the State services. Captains and other crew members are required to cooperate with the inspection service (June 2018).

Company Information

In 1996 Bolloré Africa Logistics was awarded the concession for the container terminal at the port of Bangui. Bolloré Africa Logistics, which has a workforce of 200, carries merchandise up and down the Ubangui river and between the cities of Brazzaville/ Kinshasa and Bangui. All the companies present to support operations at the port are Bollore Africa Logistics affiliated. 

 

BOLLORE LOGISTICS AFRICA

Number of Boats

n/a

Tonnage / Volume

Carrying Capacity

n/a

Number of Barges

47 (bulk) + 27 (fuel) + 14 (flat)

Tonnage / Volume

Carrying Capacity

From 150 MT to 600 MT

Number of Tugs

10

Tonnage / Volume

Carrying Capacity

Max power 1,200 HP

Other (specify)

1 naval repair shop

Key Routes

Ubangui River

From: Brazzaville/Kinshasa

To: Bangui

From: Bangui

To: Mobaye

Total Distance (km)

1,180 km

380 km

Width (m):

Broadest

Narrowest

 Information available with “voies navigables”

 Information available with “voies navigables”

River Flow

(m³ / second)

4 092 m3/s

4 092 m3/s

Seasonal Affects

This corridor is operational during the rainy season

(June-July through December) only

This corridor is operational during the rainy season

(June-July through December) only

Maximum Weight and

Size of Vessels

2,000 mt

38 Baleinieres from 18 meters to 32 meters or from 25 Mt to 85 Mt capacity

Regular Traffic

Passenger / Cargo

60,000 MT of different cargo (SUCAF, MOCAF,ICRC, etc.)

Livestock – market trade – gardening - People

Companies Operating

Along the Route

SOCATRAF (Bollore afiflliate)

Association des Proprietaires des Baleinieres et

Menues Embarcations de Centrafrique (APBMEC)

Security Concerns

(Yes / No)

Yes

Yes – 11 police check points between Bangui andMobaye

Main Ports    Sao/ Ouango – Kolongo – Kouango – Mobaye

Travel Time Matrix

Travel Time from Main port to other major Ports  (hours / days) BARGE

 

Bangui

 Brazzaville

Kinshasa 

Mobaye 

Bangui

-

21 days

21 days

10 days

Brazzaville

21 days

- - 31 days

Kinshasa 

21 days

- - 31 days

Mobaye

10 days 31 days 31 days -

Port Information

 

Port of Bangui

Location

Bangui

Contact Information

Bruno PERIER - Directeur Général

+236  21 61 43 15 / +236  75 50 24 64

bruno.perier@bollore.com

Connections with other

transport means

(road/waterways/air)

To all major roads in CAR. To Bangui M’poko international airport.

Storage Capacity

(square meters and cubic meters)

Indoor storage capacity 10,000m2

Outdoor container yard 5,000m2.

Handling Equipment

5 hoists (up to 30 MT)

1 weighbridge

Customs Clearance Available

(Yes / No)

Yes

Other Comments

Extension and rehabilitation of berth is under process.

 

Bangui - SAO (Ouango area)

Location

Bangui– SAO (Ouango area) – Direction to Mboko 5 km from PK 0.

Contact Information

Mr Baudoin TOMAYE – Port Captain - 75035705

Connections with other

transport means

(road/waterways/air)

To all major roads in CAR. To Bangui M’poko international airport

Storage Capacity

(square meters and cubic meters)

No storage facility but possibility to install one MSU.

Handling Equipment

n/a

Customs Clearance Available

(Yes / No)

No

Other Comments

Extension and rehabilitation of berth is under process.

Good tar road for an easy access.

Port used to go to Kouango and Mobaye.

 

Bangui-Kolongo

Location

Bangui – KOLONGO – Direction to Mbiki – 5 km from PK0

Contact Information

Mr NAMSONA – Port Captain - 75022474

Connections with other

transport means

(road/waterways/air)

To all major roads in CAR. To Bangui M’poko international airport

Storage Capacity

(square meters and cubic meters)

No storage facility.

Handling Equipment

n/a

Customs Clearance Available

(Yes / No)

No

Other Comments

Difficult access due to an extremely bad road especially during rainy season.

Between Bangui and Bangassou, there is a riverbreak due to Mobaye dam and waterfalls (see above picture) with width  600 m.

The “ecluse (lock)” doesn’t exist anymore.

The West Mobaye port is very basic – no infrastructure and equipment is available, while the East Mobaye port is the old port, with a jetty

used before the dam was built in the early eighties.

There are no “Baleiniere” after Mobaye –there is another riverbreak with 5/10 meters waterfalls at Ouango so the waterway toBangassou is not passable.

An evaluation is on-going between Mobaye and Ouango. The LCA will be updated accordingly.

 Mobaye - Dam (left) and waterfalls (right)


BALEINIERES BANGUI

OWNERS

NUMBERS

LENGTH (meter)

TONNAGE (Mt)

NGBOKOTO Sylvain

1

25

60

MBERENGA Jean Baptiste

2

22 – 27

50 – 70

GUEREYORO Moussa

1

22

50

TITHEU Gabriel

1

18

25

VOUMON Marie Solange

1

18

25

MARTIAL

1

18

25

KOSSI Jean Pierre

1

22

50

ELIM

1

18

25

YAMBANGUI Eulalie

1

18

25

BOMBI Jean

5

20,5 – 22 – 27 – 32 – 32

50 – 50 – 70 – 85 – 85

KOMBANGA Isidore

2

28 – 32

70 – 85

MONKELELE Patrick

2

25 – 27

60 – 70

VICKOMO Sophie

1

27

70

KOGBIA

1

18

25

AZOUDOALA Thomas

1

30

80

NGBAGOPE

1

25

60

BETENEDJI Jules

1

30

80

MBROUKOUZOU Armand

1

18

25

OUTOUMBILI Andre

1

18

25

BOMBO Egide

1

18

25

See 4.8 Central African Republic Port and Waterways Company Contact List

 

Map of ferries 

 

 

 

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