and agricultural products. As of 2008, the town is served by two telecom operators: Ikatel and Sotelma. There are two factories processing cotton: Compagnie Malienne des Textiles (COMATEX) and Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile (CMDT). Commerce consists mostly of the small scale exchange and sale of products from the primary sector, sold weekly at the large Sudano-Sahelian market, drawing customers from far outside of the city. The main products sold are vegetables, pottery, cotton, leather, fruit, ovens, cattle and cereals. The headquarters of the Office du Niger is based in the town. The Office du Niger is a semi-autonomous government agency that administers a large irrigation scheme in the Ségou Region to the north of the Niger River. Ségou used to be served by Ségou Airport (IATA: SZU, ICAO: GASG). The airport lay south-west of the city center and is visible on old maps as well as satellite imagery. Notable residents Notable people from Ségou include Adame Ba Konare, Fanta Damba, Garan Fabou Kouyate, Mountaga Tall, and Bassekou Kouyate. Maryse Condé's historical novel Segu tells the city's history from 1797 to its 1860 defeat by El Hajj Oumar Tall's army. International relations Twin towns – sister cities Ségou is twinned with: Angoulême, France, since 1984. Richmond, Virginia, United States. See also Bamana Empire: for the Ségou Empire List of cities in Mali References Sources . . . . . Further reading . External links Ségou Tourist Office Populated places in Ségou Region Regional capitals in Mali Communities on the Niger River Populated places established in 1620 French West Africa Bamana 1620 establishments in Africa