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U.S. Urges Americans to Leave Mali as Jihadist Fuel Blockade Cripples Daily Life

The embassy cited escalating attacks on fuel convoys that are choking supplies across the country.

Overview

  • The U.S. Embassy in Bamako advised citizens to depart immediately on commercial flights, warning that overland travel is unsafe due to terrorist attacks along highways.
  • Mali’s government suspended all schools and universities for two weeks, with classes scheduled to resume around November 10 if fuel supplies stabilize.
  • Al-Qaida-linked JNIM has enforced a fuel blockade since early September, attacking convoys and burning more than 100 tankers, while military escorts have had mixed success.
  • Bamako faces shuttered stations, kilometre-long queues and rationing to about 13 liters per purchase, with electricity reportedly available for roughly six hours a day as outages worsen.
  • Authorities imposed fuel restrictions prioritizing emergency services, and Russian representatives pledged 160,000–200,000 metric tons of petroleum and agricultural products without a public delivery timeline.