The Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—has launched a joint initiative to address the region’s worsening road safety crisis, with a high-level technical session underway in Bamako from 14 to 16 May 2025.
Chaired by Malian Transport Minister Dembélé Madina Sissoko, the meeting aims to harmonize national policies and coordinate regional responses to rising traffic-related deaths and injuries. In 2024, Mali reported 682 deaths from 7,673 accidents, Burkina Faso 619 deaths from over 13,000 incidents, and Niger’s capital Niamey saw 96 deaths in 5,124 reported accidents. Many rural incidents go undocumented.
The World Health Organization estimates traffic accidents cost African economies up to 3% of GDP annually. Proposed measures include unified traffic laws, regional officer training, a shared accident database, public awareness campaigns, and adoption of Niger’s pilot geolocation system to track accidents.
