How jihadists have paralysed an entire country

In Bamako, Mali’s capital, the familiar sounds of car engines and horns have been replaced by the sounds of shuffling feet.

Residents push worn-out motorcycles through the city’s dusty roads, frustrated by a fuel blockade that has paralyzed Mali for more than two months.

Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)An al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist militia attacks tankers transporting fuel to Mali, expanding its years-long insurgency into economic warfare.

Fighters from the Group to Support Islam and Muslims kidnapped drivers and burned more than 100 trucks heading to Bamako.

The daily lives of millions of Malians have been turned upside down, with schools and universities forced to close, food prices rising, and hospitals suffering from power outages.

The fuel shortage has raised concerns outside Mali, with the United States urging Americans not to travel to Mali, and France advising its citizens in the West African country to leave as soon as possible.

One of the defining images of the crisis is long queues accumulating outside petrol stations.

Sidi Jerry, a taxi driver waiting at a petrol station in Bamako, told the BBC: “We are here waiting for fuel, and we have been here for more than four days.”

Mr. Giry says he hopes Mali’s military-led government will resolve the crisis soon, because “whether you are a vendor or a teacher, everyone’s work has been affected.”

In some Bamako forecourts, motorists encounter a note bearing three exasperating words – “No fuel today.”

Many delivery and bus drivers have resorted to sleeping at petrol stations in the hope of being the first to refuel once supplies arrive.

With public transport prices tripling in some parts of the capital, some passengers have abandoned the bus altogether and are walking long distances to work.

At the Baku Gikoroni market in Bamako, customer Assetane Diarra says food prices have tripled.

“Times are very difficult now,” says Ms. Diarra. “But what can we do? We are at war. We pray to God to bring prosperity and peace to our country.”

Traders tell the BBC that prices have risen due to rising transport costs and a dwindling supply of imported goods.

“The goods we used to get are no longer easily accessible due to the lack of transportation,” says Amadou Traoré. “For those selling food products, the lack of fuel makes accessing supplies difficult.”

It appears that behind this chaos there is a carefully orchestrated plan.

The junta had popular support when it seized power five years ago, promising to deal with the long-running security crisis sparked by a separatist insurgency in the north, which has been hijacked by Islamist militants such as Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin.

But the Islamic insurgency continued, making much of the north and east of the country ungovernable.

The group to support Islam and Muslims has intensified its attacks in this region over the past year, and the fuel siege represents a major escalation compared to the usual hit-and-run ambushes.

Mali is a landlocked country, so fuel supplies must be brought in by land from neighboring countries, such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.

By cutting off fuel – the lifeline of transportation, electricity and logistics – Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin is forcing the government to take a defensive stance.

The siege also indicates the geographic expansion of its insurgency, with Jemaah Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin fighters targeting highways linking Mali to its neighbors to the west and south.

The fuel has had a major impact on hospitals – diesel shortages mean that many health facilities cannot run generators for long, and thus suffer power outages that threaten emergency services.

in At Calapan Kuru Health Centre, paramedics struggle to show up for their shifts.

Dr. Issa Guido told the BBC: “Our employees have to be quick and punctual in coming to work, but it has become very difficult for them to secure fuel just to go to work.”

Mobility was also an issue for teachers and students. As a result, schools and universities were ordered to close for two weeks. They reopened on Monday, but reports say employees in some rural areas are still failing to travel to work.

The devastation has affected the lives of millions – and Malians are quietly raising questions about the government’s ability to respond.

In an attempt to ease the crisis, the military council announced a series of emergency measures.

Military trucks loaded with soldiers escort fuel convoys from the border to the capital, but the operations are fraught with security risks, and some convoys have been attacked regardless of the army’s presence.

Reports say the government has also signed an emergency fuel supply agreement with Russia.

State media say Bamako is negotiating with Moscow over refined oil imports and technical assistance to secure transport routes.

Officials insist the situation is under control, but critics accuse the junta of being reactive rather than proactive.

The fuel shortage represents a double-edged sword for the government headed by the coup leader, Colonel Asmi Goita.

On the one hand, his regime can portray itself as a victim of jihadism, mobilizing nationalist support and justifying tighter security measures.

On the other hand, the siege revealed the government’s weak ability to reach beyond Bamako and undermined public confidence in the regime that came to power promising to confront jihadism.

Fuel shortages have also increased the country’s dependence on Russia.

Mercenary groups from Russia have supported Colonel Goita’s government ever since French and UN forces leftGreater dependence on Mali could draw it into Moscow’s sphere of influence, potentially alienating Western aid and investment.

Relations with the United States and the European Union are already tense, while relations with France have been practically cut off.

But for ordinary Malians, geopolitics means little when faced with unaffordable food prices and the ability to work.

Amidou Diallo, a welder who has been searching in vain for fuel for his generator, fears the shortage will lead to an increase in crime and a deterioration in the security situation.

“We are facing a crisis,” he told the BBC. “If it continues like this, other problems could arise – and this could give people dangerous thoughts.”