“Bamako, the capital of Mali, with 4 million people, is being choked off by a blockade imposed by Islamist rebels, preventing fuel, food and other goods from getting to the city, in an effort to bring down Mali’s military government,” says a news report.
France may have to come to the rescue of Mali’s government, by sending troops to that African nation, which is dusty and mostly arid. But maybe it wouldn’t bother. In 2013, France saved Mali’s government from a military takeover in Operation Serval. It then poured billions of dollars in aid into Mali.
But Mali’s military wasn’t very grateful. Mali expelled French troops after a breakdown in relations between the Malian military government and France, with the last French forces leaving in August 2022. The withdrawal was driven by factors including the Malian government’s request for immediate departure, frustration with the ineffectiveness of French counterterrorism operations, and Mali’s increased ties with Russia.
A recent news report explains:
The Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, affiliated with al-Qaeda, is now within 30 miles of the capital. It also has targeted convoys bringing fuel from neighboring Senegal and Ivory Coast, including setting fire to tankers stranded along Mali’s borders.
The result has been blackouts, school closures, a medical care crisis, inflationary food costs and days-long lines at gas stations. Fuel, when any gets through, has risen more than 400%, from $6 to $32 a gallon.
Along with Burkina Faso and Niger, Mali is one of three nations in West Africa run by military dictatorships, which have formed a bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States. They present themselves as anti-imperialist rulers, with support from Moscow, but do little to aid the workers and peasants.
The U.S. and other countries have urged their nationals to leave Mali immediately.
The JNIM, which is also active in all three countries, was formed in 2017 as a coalition of jihadist factions, including Algeria-based al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and three Malian armed groups — Ansar al Dine, Al-Murabitun and Katiba Macina. It’s led by Iyad Ag-Ghaly, an ethnic Tuareg, who founded Ansar al Dine with the goal of imposing Islamic law in the region.
“JNIM presents itself as an alternative to the government, which it calls ‘puppets of the West.’” It seeks to recruit from the oppressed ethnic minorities of Mali, including the Tuareg, Arab, Fulani and Songhai peoples.
Jihadist rebels have also encircled Oagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, a nation next to Mali. More than 2 million citizens of Burkina Faso have been displaced by the fighting and atrocities.
