Fuel Blockade in Mali Hits Urban Mobility and Business

Wed Oct 22 2025 04:39:36 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Mali's capital, Bamako, faces severe fuel shortages due to a blockade imposed by jihadist militants, causing chaotic scenes at petrol stations and disrupting daily life.

In Bamako, long queues at petrol stations highlight a severe fuel crisis after militants affiliated with al-Qaeda initiated a blockade by targeting tanker trucks on major highways. Local businesses are suffering, with motorbike taxis and vendors reporting significant losses. The military government has announced the arrival of new supplies, but concerns over sustained availability and price hikes persist, reflecting the ongoing challenges in a country grappling with jihadist insurgencies.

Long queues have been snaking around petrol stations in Mali's capital a month after militants from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a fuel blockade by attacking tankers on major highways.

Our business is at a standstill, one motorbike taxi driver told the BBC, as many others pushed their vehicles to join the petrol lines amidst chaotic scenes in Bamako.

Some of the garages forced to shut last week, paralyzing the city, have now reopened after more than 300 petrol tankers arrived under army escort from Ivory Coast on Tuesday.

The military government has assured residents it is only a temporary issue, but there are fears the new stock will quickly run out - as others complain about price hikes.

Other cities and areas have also been suffering from such shortages, power cuts, and fuel inflation for several weeks. My business is dying, a vendor in the central town of Mopti told the AFP news agency about her problems keeping fish refrigerated.

Mali is landlocked, so all fuel supplies are brought into the country by road from neighbors such as Senegal and Ivory Coast. The junta had popular support when it seized power five years ago, promising to deal with the long-running security crisis prompted by a separatist rebellion in the north by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then hijacked by Islamist militants.

The jihadist insurgency has continued, making much of the north and east of the country ungovernable. The latest blockade by al-Qaeda linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has seen lorries ambushed, some set alight and drivers kidnapped, indicating the geographic expansion of its insurgency as its fighters target highways linking Mali to its neighbors.

Amid rising panic, residents in Bamako have shared their grievances, with some waiting hours at petrol stations. Many are speaking out against the dramatic increases in fuel prices, with reports indicating rises of over 200% in parts of the city.

Following a crisis meeting, Malian officials announced an action plan to ensure price regulations are enforced at petrol stations, with promises that the situation will improve in the coming days.

The crisis is also causing power cuts throughout Bamako, with reports of electricity supply dropping to just six hours a day in some areas. Officials remain in discussions with militants aimed at mitigating the blockade's impact.