The restrictive measures that were recently announced at the border between Mali and Senegal have caused a lot of ink to flow. Dakaractu contacted by telephone from Bamako the person in charge of social affairs and migration issues at the executive secretariat of the High Council of Malians Abroad, Mamadou Lamine Bane, in order to go back in detail on what really happened these last last days.
“These are several convoys of passengers who were in public transport between Bamako and Dakar arriving at the border, these transport vehicles, during the passenger check, several passengers were faced with refusal of the national identity card classic Malian (handwritten card or NINA card) The police at the Senegalese border in Kidira only accepted the new biometric card or passports. […]. Senegalese border police officers said that the measure was a general measure, an application of the community rules of ECOWAS and UEMOA on the biometric identity card which is the recognized identification tool, “a Mr. Bane said.
Continuing, the person in charge of social affairs and migration issues at the executive secretariat of the High Council of Malians Abroad, specified: “People were not prepared for this[…]. People said that it was a measure that specifically targeted the Malian community, and while our office in Kidira, which inquired on the spot, explained to us that the measure concerned all ECOWAS nationals. That every passenger, whatever their country, must have the new biometric identity card.” When we contacted our office, he explained to us that this is a long-standing measure emanating from ECOWAS and which had to be applied, but that there was a certain tolerance from the Senegalese authorities… And that is why the measure was not applied to the letter. The application, for two or three days, caused an outcry. in social networks, but we, in any case, tried to give the right information that it was a general measure which was not only aimed at the Malian community. But ultimately, there was this press release from the Senegalese police which suspended this. the measure and the measure has been suspended for the moment, according to the information we have received,” he added.
Have people started crossing the border?
“Currently, people pass normally with the NINA card, the biometric card and their passports. The suspension of this measure dates from yesterday. We received the first information related to the restriction on Thursday or Friday. And they suspended the measure yesterday “.
Do you think there have been talks between the authorities of the two countries?
“I think that a negotiation between the two governments could have taken place. In any case, I believe that the acceleration of the suspension can be understood as high-level talks between the highest authorities of the two countries. In any case, at the level of the High Council of Malians Abroad and the Diplomatic Mission, there was a mission planned to come to the border […] to request relief from the situation, but before the mission left, the announcement was made that the measure was suspended (). I think that what could speed things up were the talks between the authorities of the two countries,” concluded Mamadou Lamine Bane, in charge of social affairs and migration issues at the executive secretariat of the High Council of Malians Abroad.
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