As Mali Struggles with Fuel Shortages, International Governments Urge Their Citizens to Evacuate

Author: Vera Rousseff

November 4, 2025

HRRC condemns the attacks carried out by Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) and urges the group to end the fuel blockade. We further call on the West African regional community to support Mali in its efforts to suppress JNIM and reestablish good governance in the country.

People gather at a gas station due to fuel shortages in Bamako, Mali, on October 7, 2025 [Source: Idriss Sangare/Reuters]

On Tuesday, October 28, the U.S. government urged Americans living in Mali to leave the country as the political situation becomes increasingly unpredictable. Other countries, including Australia and Germany, made similar announcements the following day.

The warnings come as Mali struggles with fuel shortages and attacks from extremist insurgents, leading to concerns that the West African country could be on the brink of political collapse. The Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) imposed a fuel blockade in Mali in early September, with armed groups blocking fuel supply routes and attacking convoys of fuel tankers.

The blockade has resulted in fuel shortages that, over the past several weeks, have severely disrupted the lives of many Malians and effectively brought the country to a standstill. Long lines at gas stations have become a regular occurrence in the capital, Bamako, and many businesses have closed. The price of food is rising, and some parts of the city have been left without electricity. On October 26, the ruling military junta ordered that school and university classes throughout the country be temporarily suspended due to the shortages.

Analysts have described the fuel blockade as a strategy by the JNIM to apply pressure on the Malian junta. As a landlocked country, Mali relies heavily on imports to keep the economy running, making this blockade especially damaging. JNIM has also been gradually converging on Bamako, with its fighters launching more frequent attacks over the past several weeks. Experts worry that Mali might be about to undergo its third successful coup in five years, with one former minister telling The Guardian, “I don’t want to sound too dramatic, but the country is collapsing before our eyes. I would not be shocked if another overthrow happens within the next few days.”

The recent crisis in Mali is the culmination of several years of political instability. After it came to power in two successive coups in 2020 and 2021, the current military junta—led by Assimi Goïta—has overseen the dismantling of the country’s institutions and the persecution of those who speak out against the regime. Meanwhile, JNIM has seized control of parts of the country as part of its goal to establish an Islamic caliphate. The situation is further complicated by the involvement of foreign powers—such as Russia’s Wagner Group, which withdrew from Mali last June after operating there for nearly four years—and Mali’s wealth of natural resources.

If JNIM succeeds in taking control of Bamako and toppling the current junta, analysts warn that they could impose their extreme religious ideology on the country, turning Mali into an Islamist republic similar to Taliban-led Afghanistan. The transition could set off further conflict in the Sahel, further destabilizing a region that has experienced frequent turmoil in recent years.

---

Glossary

• Al-Qaeda: a global extremist militant organization that uses violence to try to achieve its political and religious goals.

• Blockade: a situation where one group prevents supplies, like fuel or food, from reaching a place.

• Caliphate: a government led by a religious leader who claims to follow Islamic law.

• Converging: moving toward the same place from different directions.

• Coup: when a group suddenly takes power from a government, usually by force.

• Culmination: the end result of a long process.

• Dismantling: taking something apart or slowly removing its parts so it can no longer function.

• Extremist: a person or group that holds extreme political or religious beliefs and may use violence to force others to follow those beliefs.

• Governance: the way a government or organization makes decisions and manages its responsibilities. It includes how leaders use power and how rules are created and enforced.

• Imports: goods and supplies brought into a country from another country.

• Insurgents: people who use violence to fight against a government or authority, usually because they want to change who is in power or how the country is run.

• Islamist Republic: a state where the government is run according to strict interpretations of Islamic law.

• Junta: a group of military leaders that controls a country after taking power by force.

• Landlocked: a country that has no coastline and is surrounded by other countries.

• Militant: a person or group that is willing to use force or violence to achieve a political or religious goal.

• Persecution: harsh treatment or punishment of people, especially because they disagree with the government.

• Political Collapse: a situation where a government becomes unable to function or control the country.

• Sahel: a region of Africa south of the Sahara Desert that includes Mali. It has faced conflict and instability for many years.

• Wagner Group: a Russian private military organization.