Mali: Military junta accused of failing to protect country

Mali’s military junta government has been accused of failing to protect the country amid the ongoing fuel blockade, according to a report by Africa News and agencies on November 17th.

The country’s opposition is urging the population to “open their eyes” to a regime that “seizes the nation” without protecting it. The military junta came into power through two successive coups in 2020 and 2021, but insurgencies by jihadist groups have sought to undermine the government.

The head of Mali’s transitional government, General Assimi Goïta, has called for unity amid what he calls a “terrorist threat.” In July, Goïta passed legislation that extended his presidency until 2030; since seizing power, political dissent has evaporated, and opposition parties have been dissolved.

Since September, the country has been under a fuel blockade imposed by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist organisation that is fighting the military junta.

JNIM has restricted civilian movement through several roadblocks around Bamako and the surrounding areas, while also attacking trucks carrying fuel into the country. Drivers of fuel tankers have been kidnapped, with the aim of causing unrest and destabilising the military government.

The fuel blockade has brought Mali to a standstill, with schools and universities being forced to close, while hospitals must contend with power cuts. People were forced to queue overnight at gas stations as they desperately scavenged for fuel.

Mali’s landlocked location forces the nation to heavily rely upon fuel imports, a dependence that jihadist groups have exploited by targeting supply routes and using the fuel blockade to weaken the government.

The group aims to destroy public confidence in the government so that they can assume power and establish an Islamist republic in Mali. Since 2020, the junta has faced criticism for its anti-democratic practices, which have involved cracking down on freedom of speech.

Furthermore, the jihadist groups hold power in parts of the country that the government has little to no control over, which has allowed insurgent groups to thrive.

Jihadist groups are engaging in a campaign of “economic jihad”, which targets wealthy foreigners for kidnapping and subsequent ransom demands. Holding high-value targets for ransom is reportedly part of JNIM’s financing strategy, which it uses to fund its campaign against the government.

Fighting between the junta government and insurgents has forcibly displaced civilians, with the junta being accused of failing to protect civilians in territories that jihadists have claimed.

Africa News and agencies, Maghrebi.org