Militants torch fuel tankers and enforce blockade on key Senegal–Mali trade route

Militants enforcing a blockade on the Dakar–Bamako corridor have torched fuel tankers and other vehicles, deepening a crisis that threatens supplies to landlocked Mali and prompting a rare public response from the transitional government.

Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga acknowledged the seriousness of the disruption on Monday and said measures are under way to improve security on the routes after reports of ambushes, arson attacks and the abduction of foreign drivers. The blockade, which analysts attribute to Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), has hit two strategic locations in western Mali: the Kayes region and Nioro‑du‑Sahel.

The disruption appears to have begun after the kidnapping and later release of six Senegalese lorry drivers in early September. Since then, militants are reported to have erected checkpoints to restrict movement, extort fees from traders and attack convoys carrying fuel imports from Senegal, Mauritania and the Ivory Coast. Entire villages and local markets have been forced into economic standstill as transport companies suspend operations and drivers face intimidation.

Officials and analysts say the aim is economic asphyxiation: to cut off the capital Bamako from vital imports and weaken confidence in the state. "The jihadists intend to disrupt the country's supplies, to destabilise, or even suffocate the Malian economy, isolate the capital Bamako and increase economic pressure on the Malian transitional regime," the Timbuktu Institute said in a statement cited by regional media. Mamadou Bodian of Senegal's Cheikh Anta Diop University described the tactic as an attempt to impose "economic asphyxiation."

Malian army spokespeople initially disputed claims that western Mali was under siege. Col. Souleymane Dembélé dismissed social media footage of burning buses as old and said there had been no "systemic interruption of transport" in the Kayes region. He described JNIM's activity as "the last gasps of an enemy at bay and in retreat."

In recent days, however, the military announced a series of operations in western corridors. Authorities said an airstrike on a JNIM camp in Mousafa, Kayes, killed "several dozen militants" and destroyed a site used for logistics and planning. Reinforcements were sent to Kayes and Nioro‑du‑Sahel and the army said it had conducted "hunting and destruction operations" along major roads, with state media reporting that some hostages had been freed during those actions, though officials did not provide numbers.

Local residents and transport companies say those measures have not yet eased their fears. Witnesses reported that checkpoints remain in place and that drivers continue to face extortion and ambushes. Investigations by regional media and monitoring groups also documented attacks and arson against fuel lorries in Bougouni and other southern towns.

Kayes is a strategic logistics hub for Mali and a gateway for goods moving in from Senegal and by extension for supplies destined for the capital. The region also accounts for a large share of Mali's gold production. Mali, which has no coastline, depends heavily on neighbouring ports and cross‑border road and rail links for fuel, food and manufactured goods; disruptions on the Dakar–Bamako route therefore have direct economic implications for Bamako and for Senegalese trade.

The siege highlights a geographic shift in the jihadist insurgency that has plagued Mali since 2012. JNIM, an al‑Qaeda affiliate, historically concentrated operations in the north and centre of the country but has in recent years extended its reach into the south, including Sikasso and Koulikoro regions. Analysts warn that by targeting border corridors and commercial traffic, militants can exert influence beyond armed confrontation and pressure neighbouring states.

Regional actors and transport unions have voiced concern over the wider impact. The Union of Senegalese Truckers said the abductions and attacks represent a direct threat to regional trade; Mali was Senegal's main African trade partner last year. International commentators note that the blockade could test the limits of Mali's security strategy, which relies on national forces and support from foreign private military contingents alongside periodic counter‑insurgency operations.

The blockade's continuation risks a prolonged squeeze on supplies to Bamako, further economic dislocation in western Mali and potential spillover into neighbouring coastal countries that serve as trade conduits. For now, Malian authorities say they are mounting operations to reopen the corridors, while residents and transport firms remain cautious about resuming normal movement until security is demonstrably restored.