In brief
The French government has issued an urgent advisory for its citizens in Mali to leave the country, emphasizing the importance of using commercial flights while they remain available. This warning comes as Islamist militants enforce a fuel blockade that has critically impacted daily life, particularly in the capital, Bamako. The ongoing crisis has also led to MSC, the world's largest shipping company, suspending operations in Mali.
France has advised its citizens in Mali to leave as soon as possible, as Islamist insurgents continue their blockade of the country. The French foreign ministry encouraged citizens to depart on commercial flights while they are still available, and to avoid overland travel.A two-month-old fuel blockade on Mali, imposed by an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, has upended daily life in the capital, Bamako, and other regions of the landlocked West African country - a former French colony.France's announcement came as MSC - the world's biggest shipping company - said it was halting its operations in Mali, citing the blockade and deteriorating security.The jihadist group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has caused the obstruction by attacking tankers on major highways. Mali has no coast, so all fuel supplies are brought in by road from neighboring states such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.Last month, the US embassy in Bamako announced that non-essential diplomatic staff and their families would leave Mali amid the crisis. It stated that the fuel disruptions had affected electricity supplies and had the potential to disrupt the overall security situation in unpredictable ways.Mali is currently ruled by a military junta led by Gen Assimi Goïta, who first seized power in a coup in 2020. The junta had popular support upon taking control, promising to address the long-standing security crisis caused by a rebellion in the north by ethnic Tuaregs, later hijacked by Islamist militants. Both the UN peacekeeping mission and French forces have left since the junta took over, opting instead to hire Russian mercenaries to handle the insecurity, yet the jihadist insurgency continues unabated, with substantial parts of the country remaining out of government control.
