• Mali approved a $238M World Bank loan to build key roads, including Sandaré-Diéma.

• Project boosts the Bamako-Dakar trade corridor and rural connectivity.

• Part of wider plan to modernize logistics and promote regional integration.

In Mali, the Council of Ministers approved a loan agreement from the International Development Association (IDA), a World Bank institution, on Wednesday, July 24. This facility, amounting to 133.3 billion CFA francs, or about $238 million, is specifically for the construction of the Sandaré-Diéma road and the improvement of 200 kilometers of rural roads.

The Diéma-Sandaré section, measuring about 137.7 kilometers, is part of the Bamako-Dakar corridor, a key trade route for the country. According to the government, the project will improve connectivity along major road corridors.

Beyond connectivity, the project is part of a multidimensional strategy. The World Bank stated it aims to further open up the country while promoting regional integration through the modernization of infrastructure like dry ports, railway networks, and border posts.

The Bamako-Dakar corridor is one of Mali’s two main logistics routes. The other leads to Abidjan. Together, they handle the flow of imports and exports via the ports of Dakar, Senegal, and San Pedro, Côte d’Ivoire, two strategic platforms for Mali’s economy.

Henoc Dossa