Mali and Côte d’Ivoire have important trade relations. Like the ports of Dakar or Tema, the port of Abidjan also serves as a maritime entry point to Mali. The sanctions decreed by ECOWAS against the Malian junta will therefore also have consequences in Côte d’Ivoire.
With our correspondent in Abidjan, Pierre Pinto
Côte d’Ivoire exports animal and vegetable oils to Mali in particular, in this sector not all of them are affected by the embargo. This is also the case for petroleum products. On the other hand, Côte d’Ivoire exports new or second-hand vehicles from Europe or Asia and passing through the port of Abidjan. As are many manufactured products. Goods that will no longer be able to enter Mali. For its part, Mali supplies the Ivory Coast and other countries in the region with beef cattle.
After these sanctions, we can expect a resurgence in trafficking, believes economist Bérenger N’Cho: ” At the macroeconomic level, it can have a trade diversion effect for the benefit of other countries which are not from ECOWAS, in particular countries like Algeria and Mauritania, for example. I think it will increase smuggling a bit. Official channels will be diverted in favor of clandestine trade. “
Another serious problem: suspension of financial transactions. Almost a million Malians live in Côte d’Ivoire and many send money to Mali. ” The diaspora provides sizeable funds for the development of the local economy. And therefore, when we deprive the Malian economy of financial supply, this will really have a strong impact. And therefore, maintaining these sanctions at the level of the freezing of assets, for example, or at the level of financial transactions, is to deprive the Malian economy of important investments for its local development. », Adds Bérenger N’Cho.
In theory, the land borders have been closed since the start of the pandemic to the transport of people. The same now applies to air links. As of Monday, the company Air Côte d’Ivoire suspended its daily flights to Bamako.