Senegal-Mali Digital Link Breaks Borders

Senegal and Mali have linked their national digital networks with a new fibre-optic connection at the Kidira-Diboli border. Sénégal Numérique SA (SENUM SA) and the Société malienne de transmission et de diffusion (SMTD-SA) inaugurated the interconnection on Monday, October 5, 2026. The ceremony took place at Diboli, on the Kidira bridge that marks the border, as the Agence de Presse Sénégalaise reported. According to a press kit shared with journalists, the link will secure and diversify connectivity routes between the two countries. It will also improve digital services in the border area. Senegal24News In addition, the Governor of Tambacounda and the Prefect of the Ambidédi Circle in Mali attended, along with local authorities from both sides.”

Leaders of both companies called the project more than a technical step. Isidore Diouf, director general of SENUM SA, said the link will raise data capacity, make networks more resilient and support new digital services. Moreover, he said it shows that African public bodies can unite around large projects. Cheikh Oumar Traoré leads SMTD and also presides over the West African Network of National Backbones (ROA-BN). He said the link opens a new path for cooperation and brings fresh chances for young people. Notably, ROA-BN set its 2026 to 2030 goals in Dakar in April, Seneweb reported. Nine countries agreed to pool and harmonise their digital infrastructure. Diouf told that meeting that rural connectivity gaps and heavy reliance on foreign equipment make a shared roadmap vital.

The link also matters for African integration and digital sovereignty. Traoré said it helps build an African digital market where data, services and ideas move freely, while states protect their own interests. As a result, telecom operators and digital service providers gain new room to grow across both countries. Meanwhile, the regional push continues. Teranga Times reported in late August that the ROA-BN member states’ ministerial council is due to meet in Dakar in early October 2026. For the Sahel and the wider Global South, the Kidira-Diboli link shows how neighbours can build shared, African-run infrastructure. Ultimately, it is a practical step toward a more connected West Africa.