Dozens of Vehicles Burnt as Mali Jihadists Tighten Blockade Ahead of Eid

Dozens of vehicles, including fuel tankers, trucks and minibuses, have been set ablaze near Mali’s capital, Bamako, as jihadist fighters intensify a blockade of the city ahead of the Eid al-Adha celebrations.

Videos verified by the BBC showed charred vehicles along a major road about 45 kilometres west of Bamako. There were no immediate reports of casualties, with witnesses saying passengers and drivers were ordered out before the vehicles were torched.

The attacks have been linked to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist group that imposed a fuel blockade on Bamako last year before tightening restrictions following attacks on the city last month.

The BBC said it had contacted Mali’s government for comment.

Mali, a landlocked West African country, depends heavily on fuel transported from neighbouring coastal states, including Senegal and Ivory Coast.

According to reports, militants have kidnapped drivers and destroyed more than 100 fuel trucks on major highways since last year, although some convoys have managed to reach Bamako under military escort.

The blockade has contributed to shortages and sharp increases in the prices of goods ahead of Eid al-Adha, one of the most significant festivals in the Muslim calendar.

BBC Verify said it authenticated the latest footage by matching distinctive roadside buildings to satellite imagery and checking for signs of artificial manipulation. NASA’s satellite-based FIRMS platform also detected heat signatures at the same location on Tuesday.

Security analysts say the blockade is aimed at weakening Mali’s economy and undermining confidence in the country’s military leadership.

Mali is currently governed by Gen Assimi Goïta, who seized power in a 2020 coup, promising to restore security and contain the jihadist insurgency. His administration later invited the Russian paramilitary group Africa Corps, which evolved from the Wagner Group, to support military operations against Islamist fighters.

In January, Gen Goïta appointed Brig.-Gen. Famouké Camara to lead a special operation against the blockade, but attacks on fuel convoys have persisted.

The BBC also verified footage showing Russian attack helicopters escorting fuel tankers and cargo trucks into Bamako, while Africa Corps has reportedly intensified its social media activity by posting daily patrol videos.

The Kremlin has maintained that Russian forces will remain in Mali to combat “extremism, terrorism, and other negative manifestations.”

Residents say the blockade has severely disrupted daily life and increased the cost of basic commodities.

“One kilogram of potatoes that used to be 350 CFA francs now costs 500 francs,” one resident told the BBC. “Everything in the market has become expensive.”

The crisis has also affected preparations for Eid al-Adha, when Muslim families traditionally buy livestock for sacrifice. Traders say transporting animals into Bamako has become increasingly dangerous.

“Lots of people are blocked on the road. People are afraid because they take the animals,” one sheep seller told BBC Afrique.

As a result, livestock prices have risen sharply, forcing some residents to consider pooling resources to buy a single animal collectively.

The blockade has further complicated travel plans for many residents hoping to return to their home villages for the celebrations.

“Travelling would put your life at risk, as well as that of your family,” a resident identified as Moussa told the BBC. “I’ve decided to stay and celebrate in Bamako.”

Mali’s military rulers initially enjoyed public support after taking power, amid frustration over years of insecurity linked to separatist and Islamist insurgencies in the north.

However, despite military operations and support from Russian mercenaries, large parts of northern and eastern Mali remain unstable and difficult to govern.

Last month, ethnic Tuareg separatists and JNIM fighters launched coordinated attacks across several towns and cities, including an apparent suicide truck bombing near the capital that reportedly killed Defence Minister Sadio Camara.

Source: BBC News