Fuel Shortages Escalate as Militants Strengthen Grip on Mali's Capital

Mali, 2 November 2025 – A deepening fuel shortage is afflicting Mali's bustling capital, Bamako, as militant groups tighten a month-long blockade, severing vital supply lines to this landlocked West African nation.

Led by al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters, the siege has isolated the city, imposing severe economic hardship and testing the resilience of the military-led government in power since 2020.

General Assimi Goita is the leader of Mali, having been granted a five-year presidential term in July 2025. He has held power since staging two coups, first in 2020 and then again in 2021. Goita came to power after being sworn in as the transitional president in 2021 and was officially granted a renewable five-year mandate to lead the country without elections.

For weeks, convoys carrying fuel and essential provisions to Bamako have faced assaults, especially along the crucial Bamako–Gao corridor.

The blockade has paralysed transport, compelling authorities to shutter schools and universities amid the scarcity.

Lengthy queues now form at petrol stations, while prices for basic necessities have soared as stocks diminish.

In recent days, the U.S. has advised its citizens to depart Mali without delay, highlighting the worsening security.

Experts caution that this crisis may represent a pivotal moment in Mali's decade-long strife, with militants now boldly extending their influence towards the capital.

“Seizing Bamako would be devastating – it is the political and economic core of Mali,” noted researchers from the University of Florida’s Sahel Research Group.

Home to over four million people, many of whom are devout Muslims striving for peace and prosperity, the capital encompasses more than 90 percent of the nation's formal enterprises and all key governmental bodies.

The blockade, coordinated by the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) alliance, signifies the southernmost push by militant factions that have long troubled Mali’s northern and central areas.

Goita's government confronts stark choices: a military effort to lift the siege, potential dialogue with the militants, or, in the direst outcome, governmental upheaval should Bamako succumb.

Yet Mali’s diplomatic estrangement renders outside aid improbable. Having parted ways with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and seen the exit of French and Western troops, Bamako relies chiefly on its Sahelian neighbours – Burkina Faso and Niger – alongside Russian security contractors.

As fuel scarcities intensify and the blockade persists, the human suffering mounts, stirring concerns that Mali’s enduring unrest could soon overwhelm the capital.

In these trying times, the faithful community in Mali calls for unity, compassion, and prayers for a swift, peaceful resolution that upholds justice and safeguards the innocent.