AU urges int’l action over Mali jihadist blockade

African Union Commission President Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed “deep concern” on Sunday over an ongoing jihadist blockade in Mali, calling for “urgent international action”. For weeks, jihadists with the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) have imposed a fuel blockade on Mali, creating a crisis for its ruling military junta. “Youssouf […]

African Union Commission President Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed “deep concern” on Sunday over an ongoing jihadist blockade in Mali, calling for “urgent international action”.

For weeks, jihadists with the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) have imposed a fuel blockade on Mali, creating a crisis for its ruling military junta.

“Youssouf expresses his deep concern over the rapid deterioration of the security situation in Mali, where terrorist groups have imposed a blockade, disrupted access to essential goods, and dramatically worsened the humanitarian crisis for civilian populations,” the African Union (AU) said in the statement on X.

The AU was ready “to support Mali, as well as all Sahel countries, during this particularly delicate phase,” the statement added, without elaborating.

“The president of the commission urges a strong, coordinated, and coherent international response to combat terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel,” said the statement.

Since September, the group has executed a methodical economic and fuel blockade, sealing major highways used to transport fuel from neighbouring Senegal and the Ivory Coast. The result: long queues at petrol stations, school closures, and a city teetering on the brink of paralysis.

While JNIM has long operated in rural northern and central Mali, this is the first time it has applied a siege tactic on the heart of the nation. Security analysts warn that this manoeuvre may be less about capturing Bamako outright and more about creating sustained pressure on the military junta, which has refused to negotiate with the insurgents.