The United States has urged its citizens to leave Mali immediately, warning of a rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation amid a severe fuel crisis caused by a blockade imposed by the jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) around Bamako.
In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Bamako said it “strongly encourages all American citizens to depart Mali via commercial flights as soon as possible,” adding that its ability to provide emergency assistance is “extremely limited outside the capital.”
The fuel shortage — the result of repeated JNIM attacks on convoys from Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal — has crippled transportation, pushed prices sharply higher, and forced the closure of many schools and universities.
Analysts say the blockade aims to “strangle the capital’s economy” and increase pressure on the ruling military junta, already facing deep international isolation.
