On Bamako’s busy streets, where motorcycle taxis are one of the main means of urban transport, the drivers will soon also form an initial emergency relief unit. This is the aim of the new initiative promoted by the Sovereign Order of Malta’s embassy in the Republic of Mali through the Training and Relief Action Centre (CFAS) in the Malian capital.
The project includes training in first-aid techniques for motorcycle taxi drivers, present daily in the most congested areas of the city and often among the first to arrive at the scene of road accidents or emergency situations. The first phase of the initiative, supported by local sponsors, will involve 350 drivers as part of a broader programme that aims to train a total of 1,500 people.
The project was officially launched on 20 April 2026 in the presence of Sébastien Philippe, interim chargé d’affaires of the Sovereign Order of Malta’s embassy in Mali, Bakary Konimba Samaké, director of the telecommunications company Moov Africa and the first participants in the training.
This initiative is in the wake of the long-standing collaboration between the Sovereign Order of Malta and the African country. Diplomatic relations between the two parties were initiated in 1986, while an initial cooperation agreement for a vaccination project had already been signed in 1985.
Over the years, the relationship has developed through agreements in the humanitarian, social and health sectors. These include the one signed in 2011 with the World Health Organization in Mali for assistance to the most vulnerable, with activities to support the local population such as the regular supply of medicines and equipment to 13 health centres, the organization of training courses and rescue stations through the Training and Rescue Action Centre, as well as the provision of two ambulances for emergency medical transport.
The activities the Sovereign Order of Malta carries out in the country through Ordre de Malte France include running the Maternal and Neonatal Health Centre in Bamako, combatting infant mortality by offering both neonatal and paediatric care. Alongside this activity, the Order also supports the leprology service of the capital’s Dermatology Hospital and the AMALDEMÉ association, promoting solidarity initiatives for intellectual disabilities in children.
