• Mali obtained official usage rights and dedicated logistics facilities at the port of Conakry under bilateral agreements with Guinea.

• Mali’s cabinet approved the free transfer of 10 hectares of land to support storage and transport infrastructure linked to the port.

• The move aims to reduce Mali’s reliance on the Dakar and Abidjan corridors amid regional disruptions.

Mali and Guinea strengthened their logistics cooperation on Wednesday, January 28, when Mali’s Council of Ministers adopted a decree authorizing the free transfer of a 10-hectare land reserve to its neighbor. The land will support the development of storage and transport infrastructure linked to the use of the port of Conakry.

This decision falls under bilateral agreements on maritime and road transport and transit, which grant Mali official usage rights at the Guinean port, including dedicated port areas and preferential handling for imported and exported goods. At the same time, Conakry has already allocated 20 hectares of land in Kankan to Mali for Malian Warehouses in Guinea, reinforcing the logistics corridor established between the two countries.

Bamako aims to diversify its supply routes and reduce its dependence on traditional corridors through the ports of Dakar and Abidjan. The government launched these efforts as Mali faced supply chain vulnerability following ECOWAS sanctions imposed after the military regime seized power. These measures weakened trade flows along Mali’s traditional transit routes.

In 2024, the port of Dakar, which handles most of Mali’s import and export traffic, processed 2.6 million tonnes of Malian transit cargo out of total port traffic of 24.5 million tonnes, according to official data.

However, the Guinean corridor presents operational challenges. The efficiency of the Conakry–Bamako axis will depend on road infrastructure conditions, customs clearance efficiency, transport security along inland routes, and the port of Conakry’s ability to absorb additional volumes without congestion. Effective operational coordination among administrations, transport operators, and logistics providers will also prove critical.

These factors will determine whether this strategic alternative moves beyond diplomacy and becomes a durable commercial route for Mali.

Henoc Dossa