Ms. Clara Ana De Sousa, a Mozambican national, is the new Country Director for the Sahel countries including Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Niger effective today. She will be based in Bamako, Mali.
“It is a pleasure to come back to Mali as the new Country Director after having had the chance to work in this country eleven years ago. The World Bank is deeply engaged in the Sahel region and has made it a priority for the International Development Association (IDA) – with the adoption of an integrated approach under the Sahel Alliance. I look forward to working with governments, civil society, the private sector and development partners to support a resilient recovery, boost job creation, empower women and youth, and help strengthen climate resilience,” said Ms. De Sousa.
Clara De Sousa was previously Manager for the IDA Strategy and Operations unit where she was responsible for the replenishment and stewardship of IDA. She joined the Bank in June 2005 as a Senior Economist in the Economic Policy Sector in the Latin America and Caribbean region and has since held various positions of progressive responsibility in Africa and the Development Finance Vice Presidency (DFI).
During her tenure in the Africa Region, she served as the Country Manager for Angola and Sao Tome and Principe and as a Senior Economist for Mali.
In her new position, Clara Ana De Sousa’s priorities will be to ensure that World Bank-financed programs help alleviate the social and economic impacts of COVID-19, create jobs, and foster inclusive and sustainable growth in Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Niger.
Before joining the World Bank, Clara de Sousa was an Executive Director at the Bank of Mozambique, as well as Director and Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics of the University Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo, Mozambique.