Mali: Bamako remains under jihadist blockade

Amid a renewed jihadist blockade of Bamako, residents have reported that food remains plentiful, although some prices have skyrocketed, according to RFI and agencies on May 12th.

Since April 28th, the al-Qaeda affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has imposed a renewed blockade on Bamako, cutting off roads leading to the capital from the rest of Mali.

JNIM is behind the fuel blockade Mali has experienced since September 2025; militants exploited Mali’s landlocked status and reliance on fuel imports to block supply routes.

Islamist insurgents envision that the blockade will destabilise the military junta and lead to the establishment of an Islamic Republic.

Passengers and goods are affected by the renewed blockade; however, “security operations” and patrols by the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) and Russian auxiliaries have meant the blockade is not completely impenetrable.

While food is plentiful, the prices of meat have doubled, with sheep becoming unaffordable because they cannot enter Bamako.

The arrival of fuel tankers under military escort on May 10th has meant that petrol is available at stations, although diesel remains in short supply.

Residents have reported power outages lasting between 48 and 72 hours; the water supply has also been affected by load shedding.

It is unclear if these issues are related to fuel shortages or the destruction of electrical infrastructure by JNIM militants.

Travel has become complicated as jihadists have blocked vehicles from reaching Bamako; around 10 buses were set ablaze between Ségou and Bamako on May 9th and 10th.

On April 25th, JNIM and the Tuareg separatist-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) launched coordinated attacks against cities and garrison towns in northern Mali.

Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed on April 25th at his residence in Kati when explosives struck his house.

Following Camara’s death, Mali’s military junta announced two days of mourning; the coordinated attacks also targeted Sévaré, Gao, and Kidal.

The FLA announced its recapture of Kidal on April 25th; Kidal is a Tuareg stronghold that Malian authorities regained control of in November 2023.

Separatists have waged war against the government since their latest uprising in 2012; they seek to establish an independent state in northern Mali called Azawad.

By May 1st, auxiliaries from the Russian Africa Corps claimed to have neutralised terrorists in the Ségou, Mopti and Nara regions.

Maghrebi has contacted the Malian Prime Minister’s Office for comment regarding reports that jihadists are blocking people from entering Bamako, but has not received a response at the time of publication.

RFI and agencies, Maghrebi.org