Sahelian migrants living in Senegal react to leaving ECOWAS
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Transcript
00:00 This market in Dakar is renowned for its shea butter, its jewellery and perhaps most of
00:06 all its colourful fabrics.
00:09 Most of the sellers here originally come from Mali and all of them have been following the
00:13 news of the country's withdrawal from ECOWAS.
00:17 Aboubacar has lived in Senegal for 15 years and is delighted by this development.
00:24 We are very happy with this.
00:25 ECOWAS hasn't brought us anything positive in years.
00:31 Many Malians are angry at the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS, which hit living standards hard
00:36 for those who remained in the country.
00:38 Ibrahim Diara still holds a grudge.
00:43 If ECOWAS was really behind the population, it would not have inflicted this embargo.
00:49 ECOWAS is not for the people.
00:51 That is why our people are angry and wanted to leave.
00:55 Many of these sellers have lived in Senegal for years.
00:59 Some are worried about how the current situation could impact their daily lives.
01:06 We should abandon the idea.
01:08 We should negotiate with ECOWAS.
01:11 That would be better for us foreigners living here.
01:15 Alassane regularly travels between Dakar and Bamako for work.
01:21 Senegal and Mali are friends and brothers.
01:24 Politics is politics, but for the majority of the population we will make things work
01:27 between us.
01:29 As for the future, we have our fingers crossed that things will be OK.
01:33 Mali's decision, alongside that of Burkina Faso and Niger, to leave ECOWAS has been hailed
01:39 by many migrants living in Senegal.
01:42 But their withdrawal could have painful consequences, limiting the free movement of goods and, even
01:47 more importantly, of people.
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