Mali: Fuel tanker drivers worry over jihadist attack

Fuel tanker drivers have expressed concerns over jihadist attacks in Mali, potentially undermining the effort to ease the ongoing fuel blockade, as reported by RFI and agencies on February 10th.

On February 9th in Bamako, the leaders of the National Union of Drivers and Road Transporters (Synacor) told the Malian transitional authorities that they would suspend “all operations, including unloading ” over safety concerns following the January 29th ambush of a tanker convoy.

The attack killed at least 15 people in western Mali’s Kayes region, while several soldiers escorting the convoy are missing. Local officials said that dozens of tankers were set ablaze and destroyed.

Mali has been under a fuel blockade imposed by the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) since September 2025, which has crippled the country.

Jihadists exploited Mali’s landlocked status and reliance on fuel imports to block all imports from entering the country, particularly around major cities, including Bamako.

In their statement, Synacor leaders explained how their colleagues’ remains were “left on the tarmac” and demanded the repatriation of the bodies before resuming operations; Mali’s junta has not yet responded to the union’s statement.

Despite the recent violence, Mali’s fuel supply has been largely stabilised through the import of at least 54 million litres of petroleum products.

Throughout January, more than 1,600 tankers were dispatched to Mali to deliver fuel, many from neighbouring countries such as Niger, where tankers that refused to deliver to Mali had their licences revoked by Niger’s Ministry of Transport; this progress could be undermined if drivers cease operations.

Mali’s junta government has been accused of failing to protect its citizens on multiple occasions, with opposition figures urging the population to “open their eyes” to a regime that “seizes the nation” without protecting it.

Groups like JNIM seek to destabilise the junta by inciting civil unrest, which they envision will ultimately lead to the establishment of an Islamic State in Mali, governed by Sharia Law.

In an effort to maintain stability amid the jihadist insurgency, the junta, led by General Assimi Goïta, has increasingly sought strategic and security ties with Russia.

However, Russian mercenaries have been accused of perpetrating human rights abuses, such as rape and torture, against Malian civilians. Throughout 2025, over 550 civilians were killed in Mali, with the Malian Armed Forces and Russian organisations reportedly being involved in 374 incidents.

RFI and agencies, Maghrebi.org