Les impacts de l‟Initiative la Ceinture et la Route sur le développement despays africains : cas du Mali

The aim of this article is to contribute to the debate on Sino-African cooperation in general andChinese investment in Africa in the context of the „Belt and Road Initiative‟ (BRI) in particular.Focusing on the railway projects in Mali, the main questions that came out of the debates generallyconcerned the results in terms of profits and economic gains. These questions also relate to theproblems associated with costs, in view of the debt that many African countries are carrying. Finally,they concern the way in which China and African countries would commit themselves in the future todeepening their cooperation through the „Belt and Road Initiative‟ projects. With specific reference torailways and roads in Mali, this article has drawn on data from the available literature on road and railtransport infrastructure in Africa and Mali. The article was also based on interviews with leadingMalian figures, managers of Chinese companies in Mali, and ordinary Malian citizens concerned by theissue. The conclusions reached by the article show that the railways and roads built, under constructionor planned by China will generate economic and social development in Mali, the West African subregion and Africa in general, through the mobility of people, services and goods. Taxes levied on thetransport of people and goods will bring in substantial revenue for the State of Mali and thegovernments of neighboring countries, thanks to better monitoring of the markets that encourage multifaceted trade. Railways and roads will help to improve traffic within the country, encourage subregional integration, and improve national, regional and continental trade. It would be important toinvolve all the parties (States, companies, local populations) concerned by the various projects largely. Itis also important to examine financing mechanisms by making credit more accessible, affordable andeasily repayable.