Mali capital economically crippled by Jihadist fuel blockades

For two months, Mali’s capital, Bamako has suffered under fuel shortages that France 24 has attributed to a blockade campaign from al-Qaeda-linked group, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) on 4th November.

Mali’s military government has been under mounting pressure as the situation has escalated across the country. Last month, the ongoing fuel crisis found crowds of civilians desperately scouting for fuel. Elsewhere, these blockades led to a subsequent two-week school shutdown in response to the continuous conflict between the Malian junta and JNIM. These fuel blockades reached a heightened level of seriousness towards the end of October, with the US embassy urging citizens to leave the country due to the noticeable unpredictability of the situation in Mali.

The country has been living under constant political tensions between Mali’s military government and jihadist coalition groups such as JNIM. Ever since Mali’s junta assumed power in 2020 following multiple military coups, the country has been threatened by multiple powers as they have struggled to contain Jihadist threats while also facing backlash from members of civil society who have criticsed the government’s anti-democratic practices.

JNIM are reported to have recently brought Mali to its knees, with its blockade focusing on rural choke points among major Malian supply routes. JNIM fighters are reported to have seized commercial transport and destroyed fuel tankers, dissuading companies from continuing operates in Bamako. Fuel scarcity has thus rapidly spread across Bamako as militans have been reported to lack intent or capability to seize control of the city.

Should Mali’s junta crumble under increasing pressure from civilians and JNIM, the Sahel state is noted by some to be likely to become an Islamist republic that would inforce sharia law. Under areas belonging under JNIM control, there are already enforced dress codes and punishments that mirror full Jihadist mandates.

These JNIM-enforced fuel blockades have demonstrated the government’s vulnerability to the public of Mali, eroding their confidence in those who hold power. The blockades have effectively economically paralysed Bamako. An escalated response is likely from the Malian government as their grip on the city begins to loosen under escalating tensions in Bamako.

France 24, Maghrebi.org, Reuters, The Guardian