The United States and the United Kingdom have begun withdrawing non-essential personnel from their embassies in Mali amid a worsening fuel blockade that has disrupted daily life and heightened security concerns.
The move follows a surge in attacks by jihadist groups targeting fuel tankers, which are vital for supplying the landlocked nation.
Since military coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali has been under the rule of a military junta struggling to contain armed groups, particularly the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).
The group has escalated attacks on fuel convoys coming mainly from Senegal and Ivory Coast, the primary routes through which most of Mali’s imported goods enter, causing widespread shortages since September.
The US State Department on Thursday ordered “non-emergency employees and their family members to leave Mali due to safety risks.” This follows an earlier advisory urging all American citizens in the country to “depart immediately” using commercial flights.
Similarly, the British Foreign Office confirmed that “non-essential British Embassy staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Bamako” and advised its nationals to “leave immediately by commercial flight if you judge it safe to do so.” Several other countries, including Italy, Germany, and Canada, have also instructed their citizens to evacuate as quickly as possible.
JNIM appears to be intensifying its efforts to isolate the capital, Bamako, by increasing attacks along key roads. Tankers have been set on fire, drivers have been killed or kidnapped, and soldiers escorting convoys have faced ambushes. These attacks have severely disrupted the transport of essential supplies, causing the nation’s economy to slow dramatically, particularly over the past two weeks.
Authorities in Mali have struggled to secure supply routes, with the military junta facing increasing pressure as the blockade continues to threaten food and fuel availability. International concern is mounting as citizens and expatriates attempt to leave the country while security risks remain high.
