Senegal’s President Visits Mali to Discuss Security, Cooperation and Trade
On 3 November 2025, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye arrived in Bamako for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties with Mali’s transitional authorities. The meeting with Malian junta leader Assimi Goïta focused on three pressing issues: the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel, deepening military cooperation, and restoring reliable freight transport between the two countries.
Security Challenges and Joint Counter‑terrorism Efforts
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have formed a joint operational framework to confront the rise of jihadist groups operating across their borders. In early 2025, Malian officials announced that combined forces from the three countries had conducted a series of coordinated airstrikes against militant hideouts in the Liptako‑Gourma region.
According to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), attacks on convoys and infrastructure have disrupted trade routes, particularly the corridor linking the Port of Dakar to Bamako. In the first eight months of 2025, the UN recorded a 23 % increase in improvised explosive device (IED) incidents along the Dakar‑Bamako highway compared with the same period in 2024 (MINUSMA report, September 2025).
President Faye emphasized Senegal’s commitment to supporting regional stability, noting that Dakar has contributed logistical support and intelligence sharing to the G5 Sahel Joint Force since its inception in 2017. “A secure Sahel is essential for the economic prosperity of all its peoples,” Faye said during a press briefing (Presidency of Senegal, 3 Nov 2025).
Military Cooperation: Training, Equipment and Intelligence
The two leaders discussed expanding existing military cooperation programmes. Senegal currently provides:
- Annual training cycles for Malian infantry units at the Thiès Military Academy.
- Technical assistance for the maintenance of Senegal‑donated armored vehicles.
- Joint intelligence‑analysis workshops focused on tracking terrorist financing networks.
Defense analysts from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) highlight that Senegal’s experience in counter‑insurgency operations in Casamance offers valuable lessons for Mali’s forces (ISS Policy Brief, July 2025).
Freight Transport and the Dakar‑Bamako Corridor
Approximately 60 % of Mali’s imports arrive via the Port of Dakar, making the Dakar‑Bamako trade route a lifeline for the landlocked nation. However, recurrent jihadist ambushes on trucks and rail segments have forced many shippers to seek costlier alternatives, raising consumer prices by an estimated 8‑12 % according to the World Bank’s Mali Economic Update (April 2025).
During the talks, President Faye and Colonel Goïta agreed to:
- Deploy additional mixed patrols of Senegalese and Malian security forces along the highway.
- Invest in rapid‑response repair teams to restore damaged bridges and rail lines within 48 hours of an incident.
- Explore the creation of a coordinated customs‑information system to reduce clearance times at the Dakar port.
Both sides expressed optimism that these measures could restore transport reliability to pre‑2023 levels within the next 18 months.
Context and Outlook
Assimi Goïta has led Mali’s transitional government since seizing power in a August 2020 coup, later consolidating authority after a second coup in May 2021. His administration has pursued a foreign‑policy shift toward greater cooperation with neighboring states and reduced reliance on traditional Western partners (BBC Africa, May 2021).
Senegal, under President Faye’s leadership since April 2024, has positioned itself as a regional stabilizer, emphasizing diplomatic engagement and economic integration through the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). The visit underscores a mutual interest in converting security cooperation into tangible economic benefits for both populations.
As the Sahel continues to confront complex security and humanitarian challenges, sustained dialogue between Dakar and Bamako remains critical. Observers from the African Union and the European Union have welcomed the renewed engagement, noting that inclusive, locally‑led initiatives offer the best prospect for lasting peace (AU Press Release, 4 Nov 2025).
