Militants Block Key Senegal-Mali Route, Trucks Torched in Escalating Crisis

 

Mali is facing a major economic and security crisis after militants linked to al-Qaeda blocked key trade routes from Senegal and Mauritania. Armed fighters from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) have ambushed convoys, torched lorries and buses, and abducted foreign drivers. The blockade, which began after the kidnapping of six Senegalese drivers earlier this month, now threatens fuel and food supplies for the landlocked country.

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The militants have set up checkpoints in Kayes and Nioro-du-Sahel, demanding “taxes” from traders and disrupting cross-border commerce. Entire villages have been forced into economic shutdown, with markets closed, transport halted, and public services disrupted. Fuel shortages have not yet hit the capital Bamako, but prices are rising and power cuts are becoming more frequent.

Analysts warn this blockade represents a strategic shift by JNIM, which is increasingly using economic sabotage instead of only armed conflict to expand control. By targeting Kayes, a region that serves as Mali’s “gateway to Senegal” and produces 80% of its gold, militants are striking at the heart of Mali’s economy and threatening Bamako’s stability.

Mali’s military government has sought to downplay the threat, with army spokesman Col Souleymane Dembélé calling the reports of a blockade “an information war” and claiming that videos of burning vehicles were old. Officials insist that transport has not been systematically disrupted. However, residents in Kayes report militant checkpoints remain in place, and lorry companies have suspended operations.

The junta announced airstrikes on JNIM positions in Kayes and reinforcements along the Diéma-Nioro corridor, claiming to have freed hostages and killed militants. Yet locals say intimidation continues and drivers remain at risk. Analysts view JNIM’s tactic as part of a broader plan to suffocate Mali’s economy, isolate Bamako, and pressure the transitional regime.

The crisis is already straining regional trade. Senegal, which exports over $1.4bn in goods annually to Mali, has condemned the abductions of its drivers. Observers fear the blockade could spread to coastal West Africa, destabilising trade beyond Mali’s borders. Experts warn this is more than a local disruption: it signals a new phase of the jihadist insurgency, where economic sabotage is wielded as a weapon of war.

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