The US embassy in Mali has urged American citizens to leave the country immediately as jihadist blockades on fuel supplies worsen insecurity and disrupt daily life.
The US embassy in Mali on Tuesday urged American citizens to “depart immediately” as a jihadist blockade on fuel supplies continues to cripple the country and threaten security.
Since September, Al-Qaeda-linked militants from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) have attacked fuel tankers entering Mali from Senegal and Ivory Coast, aiming to isolate the capital, Bamako. The embassy warned that Americans should leave “using commercial aviation,” citing the “unpredictability of Bamako’s security situation.”
It said disruptions included “continued shortages of gasoline and diesel, school closures nationwide, and ongoing armed conflict between Malian government and terrorist elements around Bamako.”
The US State Department last week authorised non-emergency staff and family members to leave Mali due to mounting risks. Despite military escorts, multiple tankers have been destroyed and drivers killed in ambushes. The embassy added that overland routes remain unsafe, though Bamako’s international airport remains open.