LARGE ROOD WOKO MARKET

The largest market in the capital is Rood Woko, in the centre of Ouaga, which was both the heart of the capital's commercial activities and a compulsory place for travellers to pass through. In May 2003, the market burned to the ground and closed. After having been left in this way for a long time, the town hall undertook reconstruction, reorganization and sanitation work on this vast space of exchange, and reopened its doors in 2009. The consequence of this long period of inactivity is undoubtedly the opposite of the objectives of the town hall because, among the 6,000 shopkeepers who found themselves technically unemployed when their workplace closed, a large proportion of them have settled near the enclosed site and keep the place in turmoil. If the site is a little busy and the security conditions not optimal, it is nevertheless lively and popular and therefore interesting to visit. This is the kingdom of the black market and resourcefulness... you can find absolutely everything, just ask! The other traders went to the small neighbourhood markets (Sankariaré) or tried their luck in other parts of the city (Gounghin, Ouagarinter, Bogodogo). Entire streets that were once empty were then filled with a succession of small shops to form new market districts.