Clara Ana Coutinho de Sousa is World Bank Country Director for the Sahel countries including Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Niger.

She 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.