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Mali’s military government is scrambling to contain growing anger over a blockade imposed by al-Qaeda-linked militants on major highways, where lorry drivers have faced ambushes, arson attacks and kidnappings.
In a rare admission of the crisis, Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga said authorities were working to restore security on the routes. The blockade, which threatens Mali’s fuel supplies, is seen as a dangerous escalation in the country’s decade-long jihadist insurgency.
Escalating tactic
The blockade began in early September after the kidnapping—and later release—of six Senegalese lorry drivers on the Dakar-Bamako corridor. Militants from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), al-Qaeda’s Sahel affiliate, have since erected checkpoints, torched fuel tankers and buses, abducted drivers and extorted “taxes” from traders.
Two areas have been hit hardest:
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Kayes region – Mali’s “gateway to Senegal” and entry point for most imported goods.
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Nioro-du-Sahel – a key route linking Mali to Mauritania.
The militants’ goal, analysts say, is “economic asphyxiation” of Bamako—cutting off supplies to the capital to destabilise the transitional government.
Local impact
Entire villages have been brought to a standstill, with markets closed, transport halted and public services disrupted. Fuel lorries from Côte d’Ivoire have also been attacked in Bougouni, in southern Sikasso region. While Bamako has not yet run short of fuel, prices have risen by 10% in places and power cuts are becoming more frequent.
Army response
The Malian army initially downplayed reports of a siege, calling them “foreign media propaganda”. Col Souleymane Dembélé, an army spokesman, claimed no “systemic interruption” had been observed, blaming the rainy season for transport delays.
But mounting evidence forced a shift. Last week, the army announced airstrikes on a JNIM camp in Kayes and said reinforcements were sent to the region. It declared “hunting and destruction operations” along key roads, though residents report militant checkpoints remain and drivers still face intimidation.
Strategic stakes
Kayes is crucial to Mali’s economy, accounting for 80% of the country’s gold production and serving as a logistics hub for trade with Senegal and Mauritania. Losing control of the region would cripple Bamako’s supply chains and deepen economic instability.
Analysts warn JNIM’s campaign marks a new phase of the insurgency, moving beyond northern and central Mali into the south and west—effectively encircling the capital. By striking trade routes, the militants are shifting from battlefield confrontations to economic warfare.
Regional risks
The crisis has rattled neighbouring Senegal and Mauritania, which rely on cross-border trade with Mali. Dakar’s truckers’ union condemned the abductions of drivers as a threat to regional commerce. Mali is Senegal’s top African trading partner, with exports worth more than $1.4bn last year.
Observers say the blockade highlights the limits of Mali’s military approach, even with the support of Russian Africa Corps mercenaries. It also raises fears that jihadist influence could spread further into coastal West African states.
“The blockade of Kayes is more than a local disruption,” the Timbuktu Institute in Dakar said. “It signals a strategic shift—economic sabotage aimed at suffocating Mali’s economy and destabilising its government.”
