Daily life and local laws

Every mobile subscriber must provide a valid ID document; identification is governed by regulation and monitored by the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency.

The main mobile operators are Orange and MTN. A local SIM card costs far less than roaming from abroad; it must be registered in your name.

Always carry ID: the police can detain someone who has none.

It is illegal to photograph military sites, government buildings, airports and ports. Elsewhere photography is not illegal, but some people are sensitive to it or ask for money in return.

Buying, selling, wearing or holding military clothing and insignia without authorisation is prohibited and punished.

Using and possessing drugs is prohibited and severely punished.

The law punishes same-sex sexual relations with 6 months to 5 years in prison and a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 CFA francs.

Buying, selling, killing or capturing a protected wild animal, or trading its parts, is illegal without a licence.

Respect law enforcement, but refuse to pay your way out of an abuse of authority; if an offence is recorded, ask for a copy of the procedural documents.