00:00 In South Kivu in Congo, the city of Shabunda is one of the most isolated cities in the country. Access to it is so difficult that life there is more expensive than in any European city. So the poorest families come to get food there by bicycle or motorbike. These travelers sometimes transport up to 250 kg of goods in a few days without worrying about danger. Never giving up, these tourists are almost universally considered heroes because "those who do not travel do not know the value of men", according to the Congolese.
6:09 A long day awaits the driver
11:57 Stairway to hell
22:37 Abandon the truck!
35:25 Gold fever causes disease
43:57 The curse of the road continues
6:09 A long day awaits the driver
11:57 Stairway to hell
22:37 Abandon the truck!
35:25 Gold fever causes disease
43:57 The curse of the road continues
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TVTranscript
00:00 (gentle music)
00:02 Juvenal is not as calm as he looks.
00:29 The last time he crossed the old bridge,
00:31 it was close to collapsing.
00:32 These mechanics are in for a nasty surprise.
00:41 (speaking in foreign language)
00:49 (speaking in foreign language)
00:53 There is a solution, but it comes at a price.
01:17 Some villagers have dug out an alternative route,
01:20 but after five days on the road,
01:22 Juvenal is not in the mood to negotiate.
01:24 (speaking in foreign language)
01:30 (speaking in foreign language)
01:34 (dramatic music)
01:59 (truck rumbling)
02:01 Annoyed, the truck drivers take the detour by force.
02:09 30,000 Congolese francs, around 16 pounds for right of way,
02:14 is far too expensive and would result
02:16 in even less money shared between the team.
02:19 However, if the truck gets stuck,
02:22 no villager will come to help them
02:24 unless they cough up the cash.
02:28 Juvenal largely relies on his eight-wheel drive truck,
02:32 but for once, strength doesn't lie in numbers.
02:34 (dramatic music)
02:57 (speaking in foreign language)
03:01, (truck rumbling)
03:29 The villagers are miffed,
03:31 while the mechanics applaud their driver's skills.
03:34 (speaking in foreign language)
03:59 (dramatic music)
04:00 In Congo, there is a proverb that says,
04:02 "He who does not travel does not know the value of men."
04:06 And in South Kivu, practically all travelers are heroes.
04:11 It takes courage to traverse the roads of this region
04:15 that has been abandoned by the government.
04:18 To get by, you need to know how to build bridges
04:21 in a matter of hours.
04:22 Towns are almost completely cut off from the outside world,
04:28 bringing them supplies is an endless journey.
04:31 Even old army trucks can't reach them.
04:33 (speaking in foreign language)
04:42 Each mile is like a never-ending saga.
04:56 (speaking in foreign language)
05:00 In Congo, system D, in other words,
05:10 being resourceful, is king.
05:12 While on the face of it, poverty is widespread,
05:15 the subsoil of South Kivu is bursting
05:18 with precious minerals for the industry,
05:20 like coltan and cobalt, an ecological crisis.
05:24 The Ulindi River is being contaminated
05:26 for a few grams of gold, although this does not stay
05:30 in the miners' pockets for long.
05:31 (dramatic music)
05:36 (speaking in foreign language)
05:43 By motorbike, by bicycle, in front of the wheel
05:49 or flying a plane, the six million Congolese
05:52 in the Kivu region fight a daily battle,
05:54 refusing to ever give in.
05:56 Juvenal's old German military truck is having a hard time.
06:14 It's struggling to transport 2,000 liters of petrol.
06:18 Juvenal is delivering this to Shabunda,
06:21 the most isolated town in South Kivu.
06:23 This title will not be taken over any time soon.
06:29 The road is a truck killer.
06:31 (speaking in foreign language)
06:51 (speaking in foreign language)
06:55 This is the 10th breakdown they've dealt with
07:06 since setting off.
07:08 They're only a few miles from Shabunda,
07:09 so the mechanics want to return on foot.
07:12 Juvenal tries to convince them to stay.
07:14 (speaking in foreign language)
07:20 (speaking in foreign language)
07:23 It's going to take lots of morale.
07:34 All they have is a few adjustable spanners
07:41 and their own muscles to move parts
07:43 weighing more than 100 kilograms.
07:45 (speaking in foreign language)
07:49 10 hours later, the shrewd mechanics have won their bet.
08:04 But their only prize is satisfaction.
08:12 They have a bleak night ahead of them.
08:15 (speaking in foreign language)
08:19 The following morning, Juvenal and his team
08:40 finally arrive in Shabunda.
08:42 Only three trucks like his dare to supply the city.
08:46 The drivers take it in turn as much as possible,
08:48 but every time, it's a nightmare.
08:51 (speaking in foreign language)
08:57 (speaking in foreign language)
09:06 (speaking in foreign language)
09:09 The city is running dry
09:31 and is almost completely out of petrol,
09:33 given that it's been almost three weeks
09:35 since it was last supplied with it.
09:36 (speaking in foreign language)
09:42 Four pounds per liter, a small fortune.
09:50 Shabunda is so difficult to reach
09:51 that prices are skyrocketing.
09:54 The cost of living is more expensive here
09:56 than in any European city.
09:58 Whilst petrol arrives in trucks,
10:00 food on the other hand arrives by plane.
10:04 But the small twin-engine planes
10:05 can only transport two tons of merchandise,
10:07 which once again raises prices.
10:10 The 80,000 residents must pay a heavy price
10:13 for their isolation.
10:14 (truck engine roaring)
10:19 (speaking in foreign language)
10:23 Four wooden planks are enough
10:31 to start up a luxury grocer's shop.
10:34 In his shop, David sells everything three to four times
10:45 more expensive than in the rest of the country.
10:48 (speaking in foreign language)
10:52 (speaking in foreign language)
10:56 (speaking in foreign language)
11:25 (speaking in foreign language)
11:29 Shabunda is beginning to feel cursed.
11:47 The road to paradise, even if it's the fastest,
11:50 is not easy.
11:51 Every time they approach the city,
11:53 Malou and his co-pilot feel rather uneasy.
11:56 (speaking in foreign language)
12:02 Especially given that the landing strip
12:15 is located right in the middle of the city.
12:18 The locals regularly cross it
12:20 to go from one neighborhood to another.
12:22 But this is not without its risks.
12:26 A few days before we began filming,
12:28 a little girl was hit by a plane during takeoff.
12:31 (speaking in foreign language)
12:35 Walking along the sides of the runway is just as dangerous.
12:48 There are landings that have skidded off the runway,
12:50 like in 2017.
12:52 The reality is that the control tower
12:54 is not properly equipped to guide the pilots.
12:57 No radar, just a CB radio to communicate with.
13:01 (speaking in foreign language)
13:08 At least when it's working.
13:10 (speaking in foreign language)
13:15 (radar beeping)
13:21 (dramatic music)
13:24 30 flights a week are just about enough to feed the city.
13:42 (dramatic music)
13:50 (truck rumbling)
13:52 The 2000 liters of petrol that Juvenal brought over
13:57 has swiftly been sold.
13:59 The next day, another truck takes to the road,
14:01 but this time it is Junior who's in charge of the journey.
14:05 Juvenal warns him about the dangers of this route.
14:08 (truck rumbling)
14:12 (speaking in foreign language)
14:17 (speaking in foreign language)
14:21 The old German military truck still bears the scars
14:27 of Junior's last journey, and that's not all.
14:30 On the way here, he ran out of petrol.
14:33 So this time, he takes the lot.
14:35 (speaking in foreign language)
14:41 (dramatic music)
14:44 (speaking in foreign language)
14:50 The poorest travelers use these trucks to leave the city.
15:00 (dramatic music)
15:04 (speaking in foreign language)
15:11 This is the case for Maria and her family.
15:14 They could not afford the 316 pound flight.
15:17 (speaking in foreign language)
15:26 (speaking in foreign language)
15:30 They paid 10 pounds each for a corner of the wagon.
15:54 There was space to sit in the cabin,
15:56 but even 20 pounds was beyond their budget.
15:59 (horn honking)
16:05 (speaking in foreign language)
16:09 Reaching the town of Mugembe is quite a journey.
16:24 It can take anywhere between three days and three weeks
16:27 to cover the 43 mile route.
16:29 Junior is not even out of the city
16:42 and has already hit a hurdle.
16:43 (horn honking)
16:49 (speaking in foreign language)
16:53 (children shouting)
16:56 (dramatic music)
17:00 (speaking in foreign language)
17:07 (speaking in foreign language)
17:11 (dramatic music)
17:14 (speaking in foreign language)
17:19 (speaking in foreign language)
17:23 (speaking in foreign language)
17:27 (speaking in foreign language)
17:31 (engine roaring)
17:35 (speaking in foreign language)
17:42 (speaking in foreign language)
17:55 (speaking in foreign language)
17:59 In the back of the truck, it's even riskier.
18:06 (speaking in foreign language)
18:11 (speaking in foreign language)
18:25 (speaking in foreign language)
18:54 Junior and his truck stop in every village.
18:56 They are the jungle delivery men.
18:58 (speaking in foreign language)
19:10 The villagers are sending it to Mugembe to be fixed.
19:17 (speaking in foreign language)
19:23 (speaking in foreign language)
19:27 The engine weighs more than 200 kilos.
19:43 (speaking in foreign language)
19:51 (horn honking)
19:52 (speaking in foreign language)
19:56 Duerr rushes to split up Junior and a mechanic
20:05 who are having a drunken fight
20:06 over some shifty money matters.
20:08 The mechanic has been handed over to the police.
20:14 (speaking in foreign language)
20:20 (speaking in foreign language)
20:24 (speaking in foreign language)
20:28 (speaking in foreign language)
20:41 (speaking in foreign language)
20:45 The crew have just lost one of their men.
21:03 The police take him to sober up at the station.
21:10 And to make matters worse, in a few miles,
21:12 having one less pair of hands
21:13 will begin to take its toll on the team.
21:16 (dramatic music)
21:20 (speaking in foreign language)
21:37 (speaking in foreign language)
21:40 Maria's mom, however,
21:41 seems to be enjoying the worsening situation.
21:43 (laughing)
21:46 According to Duerr, laughter will ward off bad luck.
21:54 (speaking in foreign language)
22:05 And he doesn't use this word lightly.
22:08 Over the next few miles, things take a turn for the worse.
22:11 The 28-ton old German truck
22:12 becomes more and more out of control.
22:15 (engine rumbling)
22:19 (dramatic music)
22:22 (speaking in foreign language)
22:42 Junior has ended up in a ditch
22:45 just three miles from where they set off.
22:48 (speaking in foreign language)
22:53 (engine rumbling)
22:56 (speaking in foreign language)
23:16 (engine rumbling)
23:45 It is 11 p.m.
23:46 They've been digging for six hours now.
23:49 For Maria and her mother,
24:01 these six hours have been spent
24:02 waiting in the back of the wagon.
24:05 She's had enough.
24:06 (speaking in foreign language)
24:11 (laughing)
24:13 (speaking in foreign language)
24:17 They will walk for two more hours in complete darkness.
24:35 (crickets chirping)
24:41 The mud is taking its toll on others too.
24:44 Francois and his brother
24:46 have been pushing their bicycle for three days.
24:48 They are returning to Shabunda.
24:50 They went to buy some much cheaper food
24:52 at the other end of the route,
24:54 an 87-mile round trek that allows them to feed their family.
24:58 (engine rumbling)
25:00 (speaking in foreign language)
25:16 (bird squawking)
25:26 (speaking in foreign language)
25:30 (engine rumbling)
25:55 (speaking in foreign language)
26:00 (speaking in foreign language)
26:05 (speaking in foreign language)
26:09 (speaking in foreign language)
26:13 (speaking in foreign language)
26:18 (speaking in foreign language)
26:22 (speaking in foreign language)
26:50 Francois and his brother bump into Junior
26:53 and his mired truck at around 1 a.m.
26:55 The mechanics are still hard at work.
26:58 They commend the two brothers for their determination.
27:01 They're faring better with their bike
27:03 than with an eight-wheel drive truck.
27:05 (speaking in foreign language)
27:09 Junior is hoping that tomorrow
27:18 his truck will muster the strength
27:20 to not only escape the mire,
27:22 but also finish the remaining 40-mile journey,
27:24 but it's a long shot.
27:26 An isolated region with a sky-high cost of living.
27:34 You may wonder why some 80,000 people
27:37 continue to live in Shabunda.
27:39 Well, because everyone has a disease
27:42 that drives them crazy, gold fever.
27:45 The Ulindi River that flows below the region
27:47 is sitting atop a huge treasure trove.
27:50 In Shabunda, precious metal trading houses
27:53 have sprung up like mushrooms.
27:55 (speaking in foreign language)
28:07 (people chattering)
28:11 (speaking in foreign language)
28:39 (dramatic music)
28:42 Since the discovery of the precious metal in 2014,
28:48 thousands have come to seek their fortune
28:50 on the Ulindi River.
28:51 (dramatic music)
28:54 (people chattering)
28:57 (dramatic music)
29:00 (dramatic music)
29:03 (dramatic music)
29:06 (speaking in foreign language)
29:30 (speaking in foreign language)
29:34 Dozens of old small boats take the miners
29:54 out to the mining sites,
29:56 almost like a floating coffin but for the living.
29:59 Gautier is the only one wearing a life jacket
30:08 and for good reason.
30:10 Two weeks ago, his boat sank
30:13 and he's one of the few survivors.
30:15 (speaking in foreign language)
30:22 (speaking in foreign language)
30:26 (speaking in foreign language)
30:31 (speaking in foreign language)
30:36 (speaking in foreign language)
30:40 (speaking in foreign language)
30:45 (speaking in foreign language)
30:49 (speaking in foreign language)
30:56 (speaking in foreign language)
31:00 Between the shipwrecks and the armed groups
31:16 that racketeer the gold miners,
31:18 the Ulindi River is beginning to look more
31:20 like the Wild West.
31:22 (dramatic music)
31:26 (sirens blaring)
31:29 With more than 200 illegal mines scattered
31:42 across the banks and on the river,
31:44 it's hardly surprising that our cameras
31:46 are not welcome here.
31:47 (speaking in foreign language)
31:52 (dramatic music)
32:19 Kojak works on a dredger.
32:21 He's a diving miner.
32:23 (speaking in foreign language)
32:29 (speaking in foreign language)
32:35 (speaking in foreign language)
32:44 (speaking in foreign language)
32:48 And he'll need it.
33:13 On average, the river claims the life
33:15 of one diver every month.
33:17 15 meters underwater, Kojak sucks up the sand
33:20 with this large pipe that is connected to a pump.
33:23 (dramatic music)
33:27 The gold is recovered with this filter.
33:32 (speaking in foreign language)
33:37 (speaking in foreign language)
34:05 Kojak resurfaces after two hours of diving.
34:08 The depths of the river yield somewhere
34:22 between 500 and 700 kilograms of gold a year,
34:26 but the Congolese benefit very little
34:27 from this abundance of gold.
34:30 Kojak tells us that Congolese miners are taxed by gangs
34:33 and that Chinese companies excavate the riverbed
34:35 with much more efficient dredgers.
34:37 (speaking in foreign language)
34:46 When the gold runs dry,
34:57 they get set up a little further along.
35:00 (speaking in foreign language)
35:04 The city of Shabunda does not reap a single benefit
35:29 from all this gold.
35:30 The majority of miners work illegally
35:32 and the officials in charge of monitoring them
35:34 are usually corrupt.
35:36 On top of this, the city has no running water or electricity.
35:39 The river is their only source of clean water,
35:43 but not for much longer.
35:44 Gold panners release almost one ton of mercury
35:47 into the river each year.
35:49 It's a poison that slowly kills,
35:51 but blinded by the gold rush,
35:53 no one wants to believe this, including Kojak.
35:59 (speaking in foreign language)
36:28 And the poison is not going anywhere anytime soon.
36:31 According to the NGO Global Witness,
36:34 an estimated 23 billion pounds worth of gold
36:37 lies under the soil in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,
36:40 enough to make bandits and corrupt elites rich.
36:44 As for the rest, all they can do is dream and struggle
36:48 a great deal.
36:50 (birds chirping)
36:52 Despite their efforts,
37:02 Junior's truck refuses to get out of the quagmire.
37:05 In the space of a day, they've traveled just three miles
37:08 and there are still another 40 to go
37:10 until they reach their destination.
37:13 (truck engine roaring)
37:16 After slaving away for 10 hours, they are finally free,
37:35 but for how long?
37:36 In the early hours of the morning,
37:41 Maria and her mom get back in the truck
37:43 with little hope of arriving during the day.
37:45 Junior doesn't average any more than one mile per hour
37:53 and the track is just one pitfall after another.
37:57 (dramatic music)
37:59 Mechanics like Bianfe are at the end of their tether.
38:22 (speaking in foreign language)
38:26 (speaking in foreign language)
38:30 (speaking in foreign language)
38:34 (speaking in foreign language)
38:38 (speaking in foreign language)
38:42 (speaking in foreign language)
38:46 (speaking in foreign language)
38:50 (speaking in foreign language)
38:54 And there are many others on the road
39:18 who must go through blood, sweat and tears
39:20 so they don't starve to death.
39:22 (speaking in foreign language)
39:26 (gentle music)
39:33 They are slaves to the road
39:47 who transport the impossible,
39:48 bringing food to Shabunda for the shopkeepers
39:51 that cannot afford the plane.
39:52 (speaking in foreign language)
39:58 (gentle music)
40:01 (train rumbling)
40:16 (train horn blaring)
40:19 (speaking in foreign language)
40:23 (people chattering)
40:36 (speaking in foreign language)
40:43 (speaking in foreign language)
40:47 (speaking in foreign language)
40:51 (speaking in foreign language)
41:00 (speaking in foreign language)
41:29 (speaking in foreign language)
41:33 (dramatic music)
41:56 (speaking in foreign language)
41:59 The team have now traveled nine miles
42:08 more or less without a hitch,
42:09 and it's just as well,
42:11 given that this part of the jungle
42:12 is patrolled by armed groups.
42:15 Many hijackings take place here,
42:16 so Junior does not want to get stuck,
42:19 not that he has any say on the matter.
42:22 (train rumbling)
42:26 (water splashing)
42:29 (speaking in foreign language)
42:37 (water splashing)
42:42 (speaking in foreign language)
42:47 (speaking in foreign language)
42:51 It is 30 degrees, and the water supply has run out.
43:09 A man has gone looking for some.
43:11 Parched, Maria and her mother go to meet him.
43:15 (dramatic music)
43:18 (speaking in foreign language)
43:22 (laughing)
43:25 (speaking in foreign language)
43:29 (speaking in foreign language)
43:34 (dramatic music)
43:43 (speaking in foreign language)
43:47 (speaking in foreign language)
43:56 A little further on,
44:00 road workers are trying to put an end to the road's curse.
44:04 They're not paid by the state,
44:05 but by several villages that have pooled their resources,
44:08 except they haven't got any tools.
44:12 (speaking in foreign language)
44:17 (speaking in foreign language)
44:21 (speaking in foreign language)
44:25 (speaking in foreign language)
44:29 (speaking in foreign language)
44:32 (speaking in foreign language)
44:55 (singing in foreign language)
44:59 On Junior's end, him and his mechanics
45:13 are picking up the pace.
45:15 Tomorrow morning, they have a meeting
45:16 with a driver in Matili to pick up more cargo.
45:19 (dramatic music)
45:22 (truck engine roaring)
45:25 Except the man is still far away, very far away.
45:43 He's coming via a different route,
45:44 but since setting off,
45:45 the truck driver is having troubles of his own.
45:48 In every village he goes through,
45:50 he comes across a toll, or rather a hole,
45:53 that's been expertly maintained by the locals.
45:56 (speaking in foreign language)
46:09 (speaking in foreign language)
46:15 (speaking in foreign language)
46:19 A passenger has come up with a smart idea.
46:41 He fears that the detour is just another trap
46:43 that's been designed to ask for more money.
46:45 (speaking in foreign language)
47:11 For 20,000 Congolese francs, or nine pounds,
47:15 the villagers agree to help them.
47:16 (speaking in foreign language)
47:22 (speaking in foreign language)
47:49 Towards the end of the day, John sets off again.
47:52 (speaking in foreign language)
48:16 It will take him two days to meet with Junior.
48:19 In the jungle, nevermind being on time,
48:21 reaching your destination is a feat in itself.
48:24 As for Junior, he will reach Mugembe
48:28 after a long nine-day trek,
48:30 punctuated by countless pitfalls.
48:32 (truck engine roaring)
48:36 (dramatic music)
48:39 (speaking in foreign language)
48:52 (speaking in foreign language)
48:56 Their ordeal is endless.
49:19 The drive back to Shabunda
49:20 will take just as long as the way there, nine days.
49:24 Despite its magnificent wealth of minerals,
49:29 the region is not about to escape
49:31 from its isolation anytime soon.
49:33 The blame mainly lies with the armed groups
49:36 and corruption that plagues the country.
49:38 For as long as they remain active,
49:40 the youth of South Kivu will see modernity
49:43 as an impossible dream.
49:46 (dramatic music)
49:48 (dramatic music)
50:06 (dramatic music)
50:10 (dramatic music)
50:12 (dramatic music)
50:19 (dramatic music)
50:30 (dramatic music)
50:34 (dramatic music)
50:36 (music)
50:38 you