JNIM Blockades Bamako — Jihadists Besiege a Capital City

On September 3, 2025, JNIM announced an economic and transport blockade of major Malian cities, including Bamako. Fighters destroyed more than 130 fuel tankers on supply routes from Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire. By October, schools in Bamako closed and Western embassies advised citizens to leave. The fuel-starved Malian army could not break the blockade. Armed groups controlled or contested more than 70 percent of Mali. On November 18, UN Secretary-General Guterres warned the Security Council of potential regional spillover effects across West Africa.