Mali imports diesel to improve electricity supply

DAKAR—Niger is set to deliver 150 million liters of diesel to supply power stations in neighboring Mali as the West African nation faces recurrent electricity outages, Mali’s presidency said Tuesday. Around 11 million people, or roughly half of the population, have access to electricity in Mali, which has been ruled by military leaders since a 2020 coup. But the national energy company, Energie du Mali (EDM-SA), is crumbling under more than 200 billion CFA francs (about $330 million) of debt and is no longer able to ensure continuous electricity supply in the capital Bamako and other Malian towns. The head of Mali’s junta, Col. Assimi Goita, on Tuesday met Niger’s oil minister, Mahaman Moustapha Barke, to finalize “a partnership agreement for the sale of 150 million liters of diesel to Mali,” the Malian presidency said in a statement. “This fuel will be destined for [EDM-SA] to supply the country’s various power stations,” said Barke. In February, Niger announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the supply of diesel to Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad—countries ranked among the world’s poorest and governed by military regimes. Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have joined together to form an Alliance of Sahel States, and in February announced their withdrawal from the West African bloc ECOWAS. Nigerien authorities in November inaugurated a giant pipeline that will carry crude oil extracted from the southeastern Agadem oil field to neighboring Benin. The oil is extracted by the China National Petroleum Corporation, owned by the Chinese state. Authorities in Niger said on April 13 that they had obtained a loan of $400 million from their Chinese partner as an “advance” on the forthcoming sale of crude oil.