海角大神

鈥�A version of this post first appeared on Think Africa Press. The views expressed are the author's own.聽

As the rain lashes down in the city of Guangzhou in southern China, a Malian trader named Moussa sits looking particularly glum in his sodden suit and shouting at his Chinese export agent. 鈥淟isten to me, trust me, it will all fit in a 20-foot container! I have to ship this tomorrow or it will not get to Lom茅 in time," he insists.

Moussa is referring to the thousands of pairs of jeans he has crammed into the back of a clapped-out Kia delivery van that will take his products to the port. 鈥淪ometimes, the Chinese don鈥檛 trust us," he explains. 鈥淲e Africans see things differently to them 鈥� where they see no space, I put more jeans. I don鈥檛 need this mistrust today, because today I vote.鈥�

Moussa is one of 648 registered Malians in Guangzhou (with an unregistered population believed to be much higher) who voted at the Malian consulate in the affluent Tianhe district of the city. For the Malian diaspora here, made up mainly of traders, this week has been a long time coming, with political rallies and meetings happening throughout the city for over a month.

The diaspora vote

Earlier, in a rather ordinary looking office building, hundreds of supporters of presidential candidate Ibrahim Boubacar Ke茂ta 鈥� known popularly as IBK 鈥� were gathered together to discuss the coming election. One IBK supporter, Fatima, outlined how 鈥渇or the diaspora, IBK is very important. He studied abroad and so he knows what it is like to be in the diaspora and how important we are for the development of Mali."

For Fatima, Ke茂ta is the ideal candidate because 鈥渨hen he says he will do things, he does them. [Dramane] Demb茅l茅 and [Soumaila]聽Ciss茅 are okay, but Ke茂ta, he has experience. And this is what we need in Mali 鈥� someone who understands the history of our country."

Later on, Moussa and I walk towards the consulate through a labyrinth of skyscrapers, fountains, and fancy coffee shops. Moussa talks of his reasons for voting and about life in the diaspora. 鈥淢y friends think I am a traitor." he says. 鈥淭hey say Mali needs businessmen like you back home. They say you should not be allowed to vote, you don鈥檛 live here, so can鈥檛 feel what happens when you vote.

鈥淏ut that is because they don鈥檛 understand,"聽he continues. 鈥淭he diaspora, we give back more money to Mali than the World Bank, but our money is better because it doesn鈥檛 get swallowed by the government. Without us, Mali wouldn鈥檛 be working at all. In fact, what Mali needs is more people like me working abroad."

Indeed, according to the World Bank, in 2010 Mali鈥檚 diaspora generated $400 million in remittances, the ninth-largest remittance figures in sub-Saharan Africa. Those numbers are not to be laughed at when Mali's GDP is only around $11 billion.

Moussa reveals that will be voting for Dramane Demb茅l茅. He believes that as a younger candidate, Mr. Demb茅l茅 understands modern economics and knows how vital the diaspora is to the country. 鈥淲e need a new head," Moussa explains. 鈥淟ook at what a mess we are in. The old people like Ke茂ta think that France will save us. Forget that, we need new minds."聽

A three-way split

Outside of the consulate building, I manage to speak to a Mr. Doucoure, Vice-President of the Malian community in China, who is also keen to emphasize the importance of Malians living abroad. 鈥淭he diaspora is so important for the election," he says. 鈥淲e Malians are all over the world, not just in Bamako.鈥�

Doucoure goes on to explain that amongst the Guangzhou-based diaspora, he believes there is a three-way split between Mr. Ke茂ta, Mr. Demb茅l茅 and A茂chata Ciss茅 Ha茂dara, and that turnout is expected to be over 90 percent. 鈥淭he Malian community in China are serious and this election is vital for our businesses here in Guangzhou and the future of our children," he says.

Whatever the result of the upcoming election, one thing is for sure 鈥� there will be a party afterwards in downtown Guangzhou. 鈥淲e have our differences," Moussa admits, having cast his vote. 鈥淢alians know politics but we also know how to party. When the election is over we will be glad to start again. We can be calm because we will be one Mali again, the Mali we used to be, and we can drink until the morning."