From Accra to Stockholm by road

He got the idea when he visited his brother in Stockholm four years ago. Yahaya Alpha Suberu, 32, a filmmaker and university lecturer, decided he could drive his car from Accra all the way to Stockholm. He chose the ocassion of Ghana's 50th anniversary and African Union's renewed efforts at continental unity to test the rhetoric on the ground in the African states he went through. Towards that end, he decided, as a matter of principle, not to pay a single bribe, no matter how small, to any official on his tedious journey across Africa. And he succeeded!

It took him 24 days and more than 900 litres of petrol to cover the almost 12,000 kilometers between the Black Star Square in Accra and the fountains of Sergels Torg in the middle of Stockholm. He drove his little car, a 1986 Citroen 2CV (602cc), through Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Morocco where he took the ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar to enter Spain and Europe. From Spain, he went through France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark from where he crossed Ostersundsbron to enter Sweden. There were curious people in every town he reached many of whom took pictures with him and his car.

There were many incidents on the way, naturally. His gear box broke down twice and in Mauritania, he had to wait seven days to get a second hand one that fitted his car. He had to make a detour of 120 kilometers in Mauritania to get a special permit to be able to cross the heavily fortified military zone from Western Sahara into Morocco which calls the area its Southern Province. In Spain he witnessed three men driving away in a mercedes car leaving a couple they had just robbed bloody and helpless.

Yahaya's trip was entirely financed by him except for the five gallons of engine oil he was given by COMMA, a car care products company in Ghana. It took him all the way to Stockholm with a little left to spare. He will fly back to Ghana and his little Citroen will be shipped after him. He intends to continue using the car as his private vehicle.

Yahaya arrived in time to attend a meeting of Citroen 2CV lovers taking place in Borlange in the south of Sweden. The organisers confirmed he was the only person from Africa at the meeting. The local newspapers doted on him. You can read their stories on him in Dala Demokraten and Dalanars Tidningarnar.

View All