Mali is looking to take a new step in its digital transformation strategy by exploring the creation of a national space agency and the development of shared satellite capabilities with its partners in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
The initiative was outlined by Alhamdou Ag Ilyène, Mali's Minister of Communication, Digital Economy and Administrative Modernization, during a meeting with Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), on the sidelines of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2026 in Geneva.
According to Malian authorities, the project is part of a shared vision among the AES member states—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—to gradually develop satellite capabilities that support technological sovereignty, improve connectivity, enhance Earth observation, and strengthen disaster management.
At this stage, however, no roadmap, implementation timeline, budget, or technical partners have been announced.
For Mali, the initiative would mark a first, as the country currently has no officially documented national space program.
Burkina Faso is further ahead in this field. In 2019, it launched the Burkina-Sat1 project, a nanosatellite designed by Burkinabe engineers and tested in China in 2023. Its launch is still pending the availability of a launch vehicle. The country is also considering the establishment of a national space agency. Niger, meanwhile, has yet to announce a known space program.
The AES initiative comes at a time when space technologies are becoming increasingly strategic across Africa. The disruption caused by the March 2024 undersea cable breaks, which affected internet services in 13 West African countries, underscored the importance of satellite infrastructure in strengthening the resilience of telecommunications networks.
At least 21 African countries now have a space program, while 18 have successfully placed at least one satellite into orbit. Since its inauguration in Cairo in April 2025, the African Space Agency (AfSA) has been coordinating continental efforts in the sector.
According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), African countries collectively invest around $500 million annually in their space programs, and more than 120 new satellites are expected to be launched by 2030, according to Agence Ecofin.