Mali - September 2025

On 3 September, al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) declared a blockade on Kayes and Nioro, key western regions that provide critical trade corridors linking Bamako to Senegal, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire. On 14 September, JNIM militants attacked a convoy of over 100 vehicles under military escort, destroying at least 40 fuel tankers. The blockade has disrupted Mali’s fuel and goods imports, causing shortages and price spikes that threaten livelihoods and basic services in Bamako and other cities. Analysts warn that prolonged supply cuts could deepen economic hardship and trigger social unrest. The blockade marks an unprecedented extension of jihadist operations into areas nearly 1,000 km from their usual strongholds, testing the state’s capacity to protect critical supply routes and sustain essential trade. 

Update: In October, the blockade intensified, with JNIM militants torching a convoy of 50 tankers in Sikasso on 17 October and attacking another near Bamako on 28 October. Weekly fuel deliveries dropped to a fifth of normal volumes, triggering severe shortages that led to power cuts, school closures, slowed economic activity, and soaring transportation costs in the capital and across other towns in southern and western Mali.

Sources: International Crisis Group (1), Reuters, Jeune Afrique, Institute for Security Studies - Africa, International Crisis Group (2)