Mali marked the International Archives Day on 9 June 2026 with activities opened in Bamako by Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga.
Discussions focused on safeguarding and improving access to public records through digitisation, in a country where official documents remain essential to governance, justice, and national memory.
On the occasion of the International Archives Day, the National Directorate of Archives of Mali (DNAM) reported holding approximately 69,500 items, corresponding to 7.405 linear kilometers of documents.
These collections include colonial and post-independence records covering administration, land affairs, justice, the economy, health, education, mining, public finance, and local authorities.
Held under the theme “Ensuring and strengthening the preservation and access to archives through digitisation,” the event provided an opportunity to assess the condition of the national archival holdings and the need to modernize the archival system.
The PM described archives as valuable tools for justice, governance, and the continuity of public action.
The DNAM is responsible for defining national archival policy, collecting, preserving, processing, and making public records accessible. It also oversees the storage conditions of state archives, those of local authorities, and public institutions, with the exception of the defense ministry.
Digitisation is seen as a central priority to preserve documents, reduce risks of loss or deterioration, facilitate administrative access to data, and improve the traceability of public decisions. It also responds to growing demands linked to the digital transformation of government, the securing of administrative information, and future applications of artificial intelligence.
The National Archives Directorate of Mali operates within a legal framework established in 2002, strengthened in 2018 through the adoption of a national archives policy and its 2018–2022 action plan, which already set out objectives for modernisation, electronic archiving, and the promotion of public records.
Archival history in Mali dates back to the colonial period, with the establishment of archive repositories in former French West Africa from 1913. The central archives of French Sudan in Koulouba already received administrative records and registers prior to independence.
Beyond document preservation, the issue is closely linked to governance challenges. In a country facing land disputes, judicial concerns, administrative continuity issues, and the need to preserve historical memory, the digitisation of public archives is increasingly viewed as a tool for evidence, transparency, and strengthened state accountability.
MD/te/Sf/lb/as/APA