National news in the mining and energy sectors.

Kourouba hydroelectric plant construction project: BOAD lends 15 billion CFA francs to Mali.

The Government of Mali and the West African Development Bank (BOAD) have signed a financing agreement for a loan of 15 billion CFA francs for the partial financing of the Kourouba hydroelectric plant construction project and its connection to the electricity grid of Énergie du Mali (EDM-SA). This 3.9 MW mini-plant project and its associated 33 kV evacuation line, presented by Malian authorities as “the concretization of the energy transition process,” will contribute to increasing the valorized hydroelectric potential by 0.39%, improving electricity access for 1,562 additional subscribers in the project areas, increasing electricity production by 12.2 GWh, and reducing electricity production costs in the zone.

Water access: SOMAGEP launches a social connection campaign in Bamako.

SOMAGEP-SA is launching, as of June 15, 2026, a social connection campaign in Bamako. This operation will allow each eligible household to benefit from a domestic connection at the exceptional rate of 20,000 CFA francs. The process is quick and simplified: simply present a property title or owner authorization at the nearest SOMAGEP agency. This initiative responds to the difficulties of drinking water connection encountered in Bamako’s peripheral neighborhoods, but sometimes also in the heart of the Malian capital. One hopes it will be extended beyond Bamako to also transform the daily lives of the many families still waiting in the interior of the country.

Artisanal gold mining: PlanetGOLD for mercury-free exploitation in Mali.

Eliminating mercury from the supply chain of gold produced by artisanal and small-scale miners: this is the commitment made by the international PlanetGOLD program and Mali’s Ministry of Environment, with the launch of the PlanetGOLD project on June 11. The president of the Confederation of Cooperative Societies of Malian Artisanal Miners, Sanoussi Daffé, welcomed this initiative and reaffirmed the support of artisanal miners. According to him, the project will train them in healthier and more environmentally friendly exploitation practices. PlanetGOLD’s approach consists of facilitating access to financing, supporting the formalization of the sector, strengthening awareness, and connecting mining communities to mercury-free technologies and formal markets. According to its initiators, the project intends to pave the way for cleaner and more efficient artisanal and small-scale extraction practices, benefiting all actors from mine to market.

Mali – UEMOA: a working visit that relaunches the phosphate fertilizer sector.

Mr. Paul Koffi Koffi, Commissioner in charge of the Department of Enterprise Development, Mines, Energy, and Digital Economy of UEMOA, visited Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal as part of a mission to present IMPACT 2030, the Union’s new 2025-2030 strategic action plan. In Mali, the commissioner met with the Minister of Mines on June 1, 2026, to present the vision and action levers of this plan. Beyond this presentation, the meeting allowed the two figures to exchange on the phosphate fertilizer sector, which constitutes one of UEMOA’s major axes. According to the white paper devoted to this sector, Mali holds phosphate reserves estimated at 20 million tonnes.

OMVS: Bamako hosts the 64th extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers.

The Senegal River Basin Development Organization (OMVS) held its 64th extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers in Bamako. The work focused on several issues, including the governance of OMVS-related companies, the sustainability of electricity production and transmission facilities, and the progress of the Senegal River Navigation Project. Under the chairmanship of Mali’s Minister of Energy and Water, the ministers responsible for Energy and Water from Senegal, Mauritania, and Guinea reviewed OMVS’s structuring projects. They also received the report of the organization’s High Commissioner, Mohamed Abdel Vetah, and formulated recommendations aimed at accelerating the implementation of integrative projects.

Commissioner for Mining Activities: a first technical session to strengthen synergy of actions.

The Commissioner for Mining Activities in Mali held the very first session of its Technical Committee on June 12, 2026. Chaired by Commissioner Hilaire Diarra, this high-level body brings together no less than twelve secretaries-general from ministerial departments related to mining activities. It is presented as a consultation framework responsible for providing technical insight on the Commissioner’s files and formulating recommendations to guide its action. The Technical Committee will meet three times a year. The conclusions of its work will serve as a basis for the commissioner’s opinions and recommendations, which will then be submitted to the Strategic Council. However, the texts establishing the Commissioner’s office are silent on the nature of this Strategic Council—an area of uncertainty that remains to be clarified.