Al-Qaida-Linked Group Escalates Conflict, Targets Mali's Fuel Supply

Bamako (Mali), Sep 8 (AP) A West African armed group linked to al-Qaida has targeted Mali's economy by igniting fuel tankers over the weekend, as seen in video footage. This act follows the militants' recent declaration of a ban on fuel imports from neighboring nations.

The fuel trucks, originating from Ivory Coast, were attacked in Mali's southern Sikasso region, according to a local security source who confirmed the events depicted in the videos to The Associated Press.

Recently, a spokesperson for the al-Qaida-affiliated Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) announced the implementation of the blockade in a released video.

Mali's transport ministry is actively engaging in discussions with transportation association representatives to address these threats and devise solutions, a ministry spokesperson confirmed.

JNIM is among several armed groups operating within the Sahel, a sprawling strip of semi-arid land stretching from North to West Africa, an area that has become a focal point for an escalating insurgency, leading to an increase in militant activities.

The organization is recognized as the deadliest in the area, exerting control over critical cities in Mali and Burkina Faso. It has executed major attacks in coastal nations along the Gulf of Guinea, with assaults on military forces in Benin and Togo.

The fuel blockade signifies a major escalation for the landlocked Sahelian nation, which relies wholly on imports, predominantly from neighboring Senegal and Ivory Coast, to meet its fuel needs.

According to Remadji Hoinathy, a security analyst at the Institute for Security Studies, the blockade is predicted to instigate a fuel shortage, which will intensify economic challenges and deter regional fuel transporters from supplying to Mali.

Hoinathy warned that this tactic might proliferate across the region as the armed group intensifies its focus on local economic infrastructure to enhance pressure on governments.

“The intention is to exert more pressure on the military, state, and their Russian ally,” Hoinathy remarked. "It symbolizes JNIM's demonstration of their capability to create chaos." ECOWAS, a regional bloc in West Africa, is experiencing divisions due to a surge in Islamist attacks across the area. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have withdrawn from the bloc following military coups in these countries. They have established a separate multilateral security alliance in 2023, moving away from long-standing Western partners like France in favor of Russia. However, data has shown an increase in attacks since this alignment was formed. (AP)

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)