CONGO : THRILLS ON THE RIVER | France 5 | Les Routes de l'Impossible

It’s a unique trip along the mythic Congo River. Captain Aimé is at the helm of an unlikely craft: a gigantic raft of wood the size of a soccer pitch. He and his crew are trying to transport 220 tree trunks lashed together with steel cables from Kisangani to Kinshasa, a journey lasting 3 weeks and covering some 1100 miles.

The raft is also the cheapest form of transport for the least well-of who want to get to the capital.

On board, danger is ever-present, injuries and sand bars don’t spare the men, but their greatest fear is facing the wrath of the sky…

Storms shake the raft, which threatens to break apart at any moment!

For those taking the tracks along the river, conditions are no better. With no public transport, travellers have no other choice than to climb aboard freight trucks, a journey equal to an epic voyage.

The patience of the Congolese commands respect in a country where the basic infrastructure is totally run down.