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The US embassy in Mali urged American citizens Tuesday to “depart immediately” as a fuel blockade by jihadists who are battling the country’s military-run government renders daily life increasingly dangerous.
Since September, al Qaeda-linked fighters have targeted fuel tankers, particularly those coming from Senegal and Ivory Coast, through which the majority of Mali’s imported goods transit.
The jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, known by its Arabic acronym JNIM, have recently appeared to be seeking to isolate the capital Bamako by increasing operations on the surrounding roads.
The US embassy said in a statement on its website that Americans “should depart immediately using commercial aviation”, citing the “unpredictability of Bamako’s security situation”.
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Difficulties, it said, included “continued disruptions of gasoline and diesel supplies, the closure of public institutions such as schools and universities nationwide, and ongoing armed conflict between the Malian government and terrorist elements around Bamako”.
On Friday, the US State Department authorised non-emergency personnel and family members of US government employees to leave the country due to the safety risks.
Mali has been battling a security crisis for more than a decade, fuelled by violence by jihadists affiliated with al Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as criminal and other gangs.
The country additionally underwent coups in 2020 and 2021 and is ruled by a military junta, which has struggled to counter the armed groups.
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Despite military escorts, fuel tankers have had limited success in reaching Bamako.
Many have been set on fire, while drivers and soldiers have been killed or kidnapped in jihadist ambushes.
In its statement Tuesday, the US embassy said “overland routes to neighboring countries may not be safe for travel due to terrorist attacks along national highways”, adding that the international airport in Bamako remained open.
The United States had already issued a “do not travel” advisory for Mali, warning against going to the country “for any reason”.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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