BAMAKO,– Mali’s growing debt to the management body of a key regional hydroelectric dam is threatening its energy security and regional electricity cooperation, a document seen by Reuters reveals.
The country owes over \$94 million (54 billion CFA francs) to the Société de Gestion de l’Énergie de Manantali (SOGEM), the organization overseeing the Manantali Dam, which supplies electricity to Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania.
According to a letter from SOGEM dated April 25, the situation is dire. “It is now a question of life or death for our installations and for SOGEM,” wrote Director-General Mohamed Mahmoud Sid’Elemine.
The Manantali project, operational since 2002 with a 200-megawatt capacity, distributes more than half of its energy output to Mali. SOGEM warned that Mali’s non-payment could derail the project’s ability to function.
Energie du Mali (EDM), the national utility, acknowledged the debt—43.8 billion CFA francs owed to SOGEM, with an additional 11.9 billion CFA francs owed to another entity involved in dam operations. EDM cited project delays and increased reliance on costly private power generation as reasons for the financial shortfall.
Energy shortages have plagued Mali in recent years, eroding public confidence in the military-led government that came to power through coups in 2020 and 2021. The situation is further complicated by Mali’s withdrawal from the ECOWAS bloc alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, potentially isolating the country from regional support mechanisms.
The letter emphasizes that the Manantali Dam, a symbol of West African cooperation, is now at risk due to the funding crisis. Immediate financial intervention is deemed essential to preserve the region’s shared power infrastructure.
