Mali's Financial Sector Strike Ends as Union Leader Freed

A financial workers' union in Mali called off a strike affecting banks and other institutions after its secretary-general, Hamadoun Bah, was released from detention. Bah was arrested last week on forgery accusations but was granted release on Monday. The union thanked its members for their support and called for a return to work.

A financial workers' union in Mali has called on employees of banks, insurance companies, micro-finance institutions and petrol stations to end a strike after its secretary-general was released from detention on Monday. The National Union of Banks, Insurance Companies, Financial Institutions and Businesses of Mali (SYNABEF) called a strike from Thursday last week after its secretary-general, Hamadoun Bah, was arrested on Wednesday. It later extended the strike indefinitely.

Bah, who was arrested after a complaint was filed by a member of a bank's union committee accusing him of forgery, was released on Monday on a judge's orders. "We are pleased to inform you of the release of our comrade Secretary General of SYNABEF Hamadoun BAH," the union said in a statement inviting its members to return to work.

"The executive office of SYNABEF thanks all the activists, comrades of the national unions, regional and local unions ... for their great mobilisation." The West African Sahel country has been under military rule since a coup in 2020. Tensions have risen in recent months over the authorities' failure to organise promised elections and moves to restrict political and civic space.

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