The Agence Malienne de Presse et de Publicité (AMAP) is Mali’s official state news agency. In addition to providing state-sponsored news content, AMAP is the publisher of L’Essor, Mali’s national daily newspaper. Founded in 1949, L’Essor originally served as the mouthpiece of the Rassemblement Démocratique Africain (RDA), the main anti-colonial political party in French Soudan (now Mali). After periods of fluctuating control, the paper was nationalized in 1991 and placed under AMAP’s stewardship. L’Essor continues to be published out of Bamako, serving as the primary print medium through which the state communicates policy, announcements, and official positions.
Media assets
News agency: AMAP
Publishing: L’Essor
State Media Matrix Typology
Captured Public/State Managed or Owned Media (CaPu)
Ownership and governance
AMAP is a state-owned public institution, established by Law No. 79-5/AN-RM on 29 November 1979 as a public service entity. Its leadership is appointed by decree from the government, and the agency reports to the Ministry of Communication, Digital Economy, and Modernisation of Administration.
In early 2025, Alassane Souleymane, a journalist trained at CESTI in Dakar, was named Director General, replacing Bréhima Touré, who had also trained at the same journalism school. This leadership change was part of a broader media sector shake-up under the transitional government.
Source of funding and budget
AMAP is funded through a mix of state subsidies and commercial revenues, including advertising and printing services. In 2023, AMAP operated with a budget of XOF 2.28 billion (~US$3.9 million), a 6.8% decrease from the previous year. State support accounted for XOF 815 million (~US$1.4 million), remaining virtually unchanged from 2022 levels. Total expenses for 2023 were reported at XOF 1.755 billion, suggesting a continued structural reliance on public funds.
The agency has publicly declared intentions to increase its commercial revenue streams in order to reduce its dependence on government funding. However, no major diversification strategy has yet been implemented or made public.
In mid‑2024, AMAP announced it had budgeted funds to recruit an external auditor tasked with certifying its financial accounts for the years 2024–2026. This marks a step toward increased financial transparency.
At the fifth session of its Board held in early 2025, AMAP adopted a provisional budget of approximately XOF 2.463 billion for the year 2025, according to a post on the agency’s Facebook page. This projection points to a modest increase from previous budgets, signaling intentions to scale operations.
Editorial independence
While AMAP once enjoyed a degree of editorial latitude—especially during the post-1991 democratic opening—its current content is widely perceived as pro-government. Interviews conducted with four Malian journalists between February and June 2024 and again with three journalists in May 2025 reveal that AMAP’s reporting is now closely aligned with state messaging, and often avoids or softens coverage critical of government policy. A senior reporter interviewed in Bamako noted, “One can’t say the agency has total freedom to publish just anything. There’s always an invisible hand.”
As of mid-2025, no statute explicitly guarantees AMAP’s editorial autonomy and o independent oversight body exists to assess or safeguard journalistic freedom within the agency.
L’Essor’s editorial line mirrors these trends, focusing largely on official communiqués, ministerial activities, and presidential coverage. Critical analysis and opposition viewpoints are rarely, if ever, featured.
June 2025