Mali: Government to control majority of explosives producer
Mali’s government has announced plans to take majority control of a new civil-use explosives producer, as reported by Africa News and agencies on January 28th.
Authorities approved the state’s 51% stake in the “Société Industrielle du Centre du Mali FARATCHI-CO-SA,” following a cabinet meeting at the Koulouba Palace, in the Malian capital of Bamako.
The company was created in partnership with Auxin, a Chinese firm, following the signing of a shareholder pact in November 2024. The project aims to reduce Mali’s reliance on imports and secure supplies for the mining sector, quarries and major civil engineering works.
Amid the increased threat of jihadist terrorism, Mali has tightened regulations on explosives due to the increased use of improvised explosive devices by insurgency groups since 2022, such as the Al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).
Trade data indicates that during the second quarter of 2023, Mali imported explosives and pyrotechnic products worth an estimated $5.2 million, mainly for authorised industrial use, such as in its mining sector.
Mali has been under a JNIM-imposed fuel blockade since September 2025, which has reportedly crippled the country’s economy and forced citizens to scavenge for fuel.
Fuel tanker drivers were attacked by JNIM fighters, even when being escorted by the Malian military; drivers were kidnapped, and tankers have been burned.
The purpose of the blockade is to destabilise Mali’s junta government, which seized power in 2020 following a military coup, by inciting civil unrest, which fighters hope will lead to the establishment of an Islamic State in Africa.
Due to Mali’s landlocked status, it is heavily reliant on imports from neighbouring fuel-producing countries, such as Niger and Burkina Faso, which are also led by military juntas; JNIM fighters were able to exploit this to impose a highly effective fuel blockade.
JNIM fighters primarily targeted areas surrounding the Malian capital of Bamako, where they established roadblocks to cut off key supply routes and restrict civilian movement; inhabitants in besieged areas are subjected to Sharia Law, including strict dress codes and punishments.
Furthermore, JNIM fighters have engaged in the kidnapping of foreign nationals under a campaign of so-called “economic jihad“, where they use ransom payments to fund their fight against the junta.
Africa News and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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