Mali’s junta hits back against Al-Qaeda linked jihadist group
After persistent jihadist assaults on Mali’s key cities and little response from its leaders, a fuel blockade now appears to have forced the junta into action.
According to AfricaNews via AP, reported on September 9th, the infamous Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group JNIM, responsible for repeated attacks across Mali in recent years, has apparently imposed a fuel blockade in regions surrounding the country’s capital, Bamako.
The outlet purports that the group have stopped fuel trucks, set fire to fuel tankers, and attacked key infrastructure such as cement factories, sugar plants, and gold mines in the Kayes region.
Business Insider Africa claims the blockade has caused serious disruptions to commerce, as truckers’ unions have been forced to suspend routes linking Bamako and Senegal’s Dakar. This comes after six Senegalese truckers were abducted by jihadists.
The militant group have also restricted civilian movement through several roadblocks. Analysts believe JNIM are attempting to stir civil unrest and destabilise Mali’s government.
The airstrikes carried out in response were reportedly somewhat successful, with Malian military officials claiming civilian hostages have been recovered from the towns of Diema and Nioro.
The jihadist group have been causing havoc all over Mali’s territories. As reported by Maghrebi, the central-eastern town of Farabougou was subject to an attack in August, where the terrorists not only targeted the military but civilians too. Locals naturally attempted to flee en masse, using desperate measures to escape.
The junta are yet to take back control of the region and have announced no immediate plans to.
The group were also responsible for the twin attacks in Timbuktu on June 1st, in which militants launched a coordinated attack on military positions, although the attack was allegedly repelled by Malian forces, it still represents how comfortable JNIM are with confronting the junta’s army.
Africa News via AP, Business Insider Africa, Maghrebi
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