West Africa bourse to reopen Tuesday in Mali
* Trades in 40 companies from eight West African nations
ABIDJAN Feb 28 (Reuters) - West Africa's BRVM bourse .BRVMCI will reopen on Tuesday in the Malian capital Bamako, its website said, after it was forced close up in Ivory Coast due to intimidation by forces loyal to incumbent Laurent Gbabgo.
The bourse suspended operations in Ivory Coast from Feb. 15, a week after armed pro-Gbagbo paramilitaries invaded its office.
Shares in nearly 40 companies in eight countries, including Senegalese telecoms firm Sonatel SNTS.CI, Burkina Faso's main telecoms operator Onatel ONTBF.CI, and Unilever's Ivory Coast affiliate UNCL.CI are traded on the BRVM bourse.
"Resumption of listings (will be) from March 1, 2011," a statement on the stock market's website said.
The largest company is Sonatel, which on Monday reported results for 2010, with net profits slipping as competition and a temporary tax on incoming traffic hurt margins. [IDn:LDE71R1U6]
Gbagbo's finance minister sent in security forces earlier this month on hearing a rumour the bourse's management might try to relocate -- prompting them to do just that, once they had safely removed senior staff from Ivory Coast.
West Africa's central bank has cut Gbagbo off from state accounts, recognising his rival in a bitter post-poll power struggle, Alassane Ouattara as president. The entire international banking system has also shut down. (Reporting by Tim Cocks; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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