After the extraordinary two-day summit on March 25 and 26 in Accra, ECOWAS decided to maintain the sanctions against Mali. The decision taken by the leaders of the sub-regional organization saddens the road transporters of Senegal. According to their union, these measures will exacerbate their difficulties faced since they are no longer authorized to bring goods into Mali. The Malian truckers established in Senegal do not hide their dissatisfaction either.
With our correspondent in Dakar, Birahim Toure
Disappointment: this is the feeling of road hauliers in Senegal after reading the final communiqué of the meeting of Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Friday, March 25.
Daouda Lo, delegate of the union that brings them together, cannot explain this posture of the sub-regional body: “ This decision does not help truckers, 90% of Senegalese carriers buy trucks for Malian freight, if we block for two months, it really becomes difficult. »
On the side of forwarding agents and Malian economic operators based in Senegal, this ECOWAS decision has very serious consequences. Mamadou Traoré, a Malian freight forwarder, fears for his future and that of his compatriots: “ There are a lot of financial losses. Dakar-Bamako practically it is 300 to 400 trucks per day, 70% of Malian freight passes through the ports of Senegal, so financially, the losses are colossal. »
According to a report by the National Statistics and Demography Agency, dating from 2020, Mali remains Senegal’s leading trading partner with an accumulation, before the crisis, of 474 billion CFA francs in terms of exports. That is 21% of the goods exported by Senegal.
► Also read and listen: ECOWAS sanctions in Mali: “The impact is not immediate. If it lasts, there will be problems.