Key point
- Truck drivers face deadly militants attacks
- Fuel shortages crippling daily life nationwide
- Drivers continue journeys out of patriotism
- Convoys targeted despite military escorts
TENGRÉLA, Ivory Coast: Fuel supplies to Mali have been severely disrupted after the Al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) declared that no tankers would be allowed to enter the country, sparking fear among drivers and forcing the suspension of several transport operations.
According to AFP, hundreds of fuel trucks travelling from Ivory Coast and Senegal have been set on fire in recent weeks as militants enforce a blockade aimed at cutting off supplies to Mali’s capital, Bamako, and undermining the country’s military junta.
Analysts say the group’s strategy is to economically strangle the government that came to power following coups in 2020 and 2021, by blaming it for rising insecurity and shortages.
“By suffocating the economy, JNIM seeks to turn public opinion against the military regime,” said Bakary Sambe, director of the Timbuktu Institute in Dakar.
Drivers Risk Attacks on the Road
Despite the danger, dozens of tanker drivers continue to make the 300-kilometer journey from northern Ivory Coast to the Tengrela border, escorted by military convoys once inside Mali, AFP reports.
“You never know if you’ll come back alive,” said one driver, who requested anonymity for security reasons. “We do it because we love our country — we don’t want Malians to be without fuel.”
Truckers described frequent ambushes and burnings along the main southern routes into Mali. “Two months ago, I saw militants burn two trucks. The drivers died. I was just behind them,” said another driver.
Rising Costs and Company Withdrawals
The insecurity has led some Ivorian transport companies to halt travel into Mali altogether. “I asked one driver to deliver fertiliser to Mali. He refused, and the truck is still parked in Abidjan,” said Broulaye Konate, a transport operator in Boundiali.
Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga described the limited fuel that reaches the country as “human blood,” acknowledging the deadly toll on both soldiers and drivers.
Drivers earn roughly 100,000 CFA francs ($175) a month and have demanded a risk allowance for continuing to operate under life-threatening conditions.
Impact and Security Outlook
The blockade has worsened Mali’s fuel shortage, paralyzing transport and daily life in several cities. The country relies heavily on imports from Ivory Coast and Senegal for fuel and essential goods.
Security expert Charlie Werb of Aldebaran Threat Consultants said the threat to Mali’s capital was now “unprecedented,” though he did not believe JNIM had the capacity to seize Bamako.
As the crisis deepens, authorities in both countries are increasing security along the supply routes. However, drivers say that even with military escorts, the roads remain deadly.
“If the trucks stop,” said one tanker operator, “the whole country shuts down.”
