The Union of financial workers in Mali called off its strike on Monday after its Secretary-General was released from detention earlier in the day.
The National Union of Banks, Insurance Companies, Financial Institutions and Businesses of Mali (SYNABEF) embarked on a strike last Thursday after its secretary-general, Hamadoun Bah, was arrested on Wednesday. It later extended the strike indefinitely.
Bah was arrested after a complaint was filed by a member of a Bank’s union committee, accusing him of forgery.
He 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 calling on 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.”
Mali has been under military rule since a coup in 2020 and tensions have heightened recently over the authorities’ failure to honour its pledge to hold elections and its crackdown on the opposition.