Political situation in Mali

Diallo's donkeys are garbage collectors - animal lovers in Mali worried

With his two donkeys Keita and Kanté, garbage collector Yacouba Diallo goes around Mali's capital, Bamako, picking up trash. In a successful month, he can earn close to SEK 1,800 - a good salary, not least considering the high unemployment rate.

Many residents turn to the donkey carts like Diallos with their trash after the garbage disposal in the city has broken down. The capital has grown rapidly and the infrastructure around the garbage has not kept up. The dumps have turned into garbage mountains. The donkeys can get anywhere, even on the city's bad roads.

Interest groups in Mali warn that the donkeys are worked during the long working days. In addition, the animals risk injuring themselves when they trudge around on various rubbish tips, where, for example, there is broken glass.

- I want to do this job with a truck, but I can't afford it, says Yacouba Diallo.

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Mali's capital is drowning in trash as the population grows

Mali's capital Bamako is "drowning" in garbage, AP writes in a report. The city has more than doubled its population in recent years and garbage disposal has not kept up.

The deputy mayor Adama Kanté admits that the garbage situation is a problem, but accuses the residents of not caring about their local environment or wanting to pay for waste disposal.

Some residents of the city agree. Boureima Traoré points out that there is no penalty for simply throwing your rubbish on the street.

- Instead of hiring a garbage collector, which costs money, many people wait until the rainy season to throw their garbage into the running water. It costs less.