The protection of Malian expatriates

The ministry of Malian expatriates and African Integration, of which I am the secretary, is a new ministry as it was created in 2004, after being a subsidiary ministry.
It was created because the president of the Republic, SEM Amadou Toumani Touri, strongly wanted to create a secretary that would be dedicated to the worries of our expatriates, for they are very numerous (one third of the population of our country) and bring a lot to the development of the country.

This secretary has a mission which is double. It deals with :
- The handing of the Malian Diaspora which is ensured by the DGME (Malian expatriates' general delegation), helped by the diplomatic and consular missions, along with associations called Boards of Malian expatriates, which are located in the different countries of residence.
- The promotion of African integration, peace and safety, task ensured by the DGIA (General Delegation of African integration).

The protection, defence and promotion of Malian expatriates are inherent to the objectives my secretary focuses on. It deals with protecting the interests of Malian expatriates whom settled on a provisory or permanent basis in a foreign country; It deals with the creation of conditions enabling their participating in the process of economic, social and cultural development of the country; It stimulates and coordinates the consular action of Mali, facilitates the stay of vacation camps of second and third generations, favours accommodation, follows and helps out Malian expatriates, or Malian expelled from foreign countries. Eventually, it stimulates, coordinates and follows the different campaigns helping Malian who return from foreign countries.

Malian expatriates, because of how numerous they are (about 4 million), of their financial potential, of, on the one hand, their business capacities, and, on the other hand, their scientific fame, are a genuine opportunity for Mali. To prove that, Malian migrants send their families sums of money which represent the double of the totality of the public help for development: 300 billion FCFA are transferred every year, including 120 billion from Malians living in France. It is to be said that those sums are far from being the only asset migrants bring to the country as they use their skills and know-how to transfer technologies and institutional knowledge.

The Malian Diaspora is introducing new ways of thinking about social and political issues. Thanks to their action, we are today a little more equipped to face new issues as regards development, and to benefit from the possibilities it is offering us. Our secretary's objective is to valorise this potential in order to improve in a regular way the contribution Malian expatriates add to the development of the country.

In practice, this aspect is done throughout treaties, agreements, conventions or protocols with the different countries in which our expatriates live, and with communitarian organizations such as the UEMOA and the CEDEAO. The protection and safety of our compatriots has always been a permanent concern for the authorities of our country. The relationships we have, in a bilateral point of view, with host countries, allow us to find answers that are fit and able to calm down our expatriates' worries.

This is one of the fundamental objectives our secretary deals with, and this, no matter what kind of return it may be. Migrants whom happen to fail, get opportunities once back home, with the help of our secretary, as regards the reinsertion in the socio economic world of their country of origin. More than 30 associations of migrants repatriates are thus numbered on the level of the General Delegation of Malian Expatriates.

This structure helps them out by giving them advice and orientation. The DGME collaborates closely with other members of these associations, along with other technical and/or financial partners, so that migrants realize their projects on a short and long basis. To take as an example one of the associations quoted above, migrants repatriated from the Ivory Coast, organized through the Amarci, benefited from 902,7ha of cultivable lands. Those repatriated from the Maghreb and Spain gathered in an association named "Association Tounka Te Dambe Don". They are contemplating into creating a fund of savings and credits to finance activities that would entail profit. Apart from those internal devices, there exists a partnership for the handling of migrating issues between Mali and countries such as France (Fund of Preference Solidarity/Co development) and Switzerland…

There is, thus, a program named AVR (Help for voluntary return) between Switzerland and Mali, with support of the OIM (International organisation for Migrations). Migrants have already benefited from this program.

We currently have the feeling that Integration is made throughout two parallel means because of the existence of both the CEDEAO and the UEMOA. This must not be seen as a handicap because Mali aims at the existence of only one organisation of integration. As far as its experience is concerned, the UEMOA (Common currency and Customs area) should constitute a stepping stone toward that unique organization.

Moreover, the CEDEAO, as it has at its disposal a mechanism of reinforcement of the structures of prevention, of conciliation, of peace keeping, and as regards handling conflicts, is fully equipped to fulfil its unique role for it possesses all the tools needed for the common markets, and the political instruments. The current strategy to achieve its position as a unique sub-regional organisation is based on the harmonisation of the diagrams of integration of the UEMOA and the CEDEAO. The current challenger is to make the people (which are the true agents and beneficiaries of integration) appropriate it and to boost the movement of integration.

The government of the Republic of Mali turned African integration into a major part of its strategy of development. The week of African Integration has been taking place since the beginning of the Third Republic in order to obtain the approval of the people and of economic agents as regards the different programs and projects of Integration. It is the proof, if such thing was needed, that that event has now become a custom of ours, and that it fulfils a need to meet up, to exchange, and to think together.

We are at a period when some countries (whose role in peopling and depopulation of other countries and continents is well-known) tend to close up on themselves, Mali must, because it is a pioneer country as regards African Integration, try and understand better how Africans living on its grounds live, on a daily basis, and most precisely what their issues are, and how they cope with the rights of residence and of settlement that are imagined by our Organisations of Regional and Sub-Regional Integration.

It is true that the Week of African Integration is that very moment of confirmation and renewing of the mingling of African communities that live in Mali, and Malian people. Not only does it allow its agents to know and to accept one another better, but it also give the coordinators of the structures of integration the opportunity to talk about the issues and challenges of African Integration and to expose the works and programs conceived in order to overcome obstacles.

I would like to seize this opportunity to renew the commitment of the government of Mali in favour of African integration and unity, as stated by our constitution, and to assert our determination to put all agreements and instruments we signed and which help accelerating the process of the economic integration of our sub-region and of the continent into effect.