• JNIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate, has blocked Mali’s fuel imports since September, destroying convoys and crippling supply.

• Mali’s electricity output has plunged, with some areas receiving as little as six hours of power a day.

• The crisis exposes Mali’s dependence on coastal neighbors for fuel and its vulnerability to security shocks.

Mali has faced a severe fuel shortage since early September after al-Qaeda-linked militants imposed a blockade on imports. Long queues form at empty service stations in Bamako, while shortages are worse in regional cities such as Mopti, Ségou and San.

The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has targeted fuel trucks entering from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Guinea and Mauritania. The group said it acted in retaliation for a government decision banning informal fuel sales in rural areas, which cut off a key supply route for armed groups.

Armed groups have attacked several army-escorted convoys. In September, militants ambushed a convoy of about 100 vehicles, destroying 40 tankers and killing or kidnapping drivers and soldiers. Authorities have since suspended or delayed multiple shipments.

Oil companies and private importers, including Shell and Star, scaled back operations amid the insecurity. The National Office of Petroleum Products (ONAP) exhausted its strategic reserves, which only covered three days of national consumption. Fuel now reaches the market only intermittently, with rare supplies drawing large crowds carrying jerrycans.

Energy and Economic Fallout

The blockade has triggered an economic crisis by cutting fuel to Mali’s power plants, which rely heavily on thermal generation. Electricity supply that once covered 19 hours a day now falls to as little as six hours in some areas, an Energy of Mali official told AFP. Several cities face blackouts, disrupting businesses and causing spoilage of perishable goods.

Households face shortages and soaring prices of cooking gas, while transport services vital for goods and people have been paralyzed.

The junta extended military escorts and tightened price controls at service stations. Convoys from Ivory Coast recently reached Bamako, allowing a partial resumption of distribution, though deliveries remain sporadic.

Officials insist the crisis is temporary. But without restoring security on trade routes and diversifying energy sources, Mali remains vulnerable to renewed disruption.

This article was initially published in French by Olivier de Souza

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum