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However, subsequent reports show an increase in terrorist activity across the Sahel. Armed groups continue to grow in strength and territorial reach, leading to instability across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. These three countries formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in 2023 as part of a collective defence initiative.

United Nations reports highlight widespread violence, noting that entire communities have been displaced in Burkina Faso, northern Mali, and western Niger. This displacement stems from continued clashes between armed groups, intercommunal violence, and military operations.

In Mali, the Security Council reports that Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, has launched attacks on over 100 fuel tankers and abducted fuel truck drivers near the capital, Bamako, and other locations.

What they said

“Mariam was forcibly taken from the market in front of everyone,” one local source said. Timbuktu region mayor Yehia Tandina told the Associated Press: “The same men brought her back to Independence Square in Tonka and executed her in front of a crowd.” State television described Cissé as “a young woman who simply wanted to promote her community through her TikTok posts and encourage the Malian army in its missions to protect people and their property.”

At the heart of the crisis is the Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an affiliate of Al‑Qaeda operating in the Sahel region. Since early September, the group has imposed a blockade on fuel imports into Mali, particularly targeting convoys coming from neighbouring countries.

The landlocked nature of Mali makes it especially vulnerable: fuel is fundamental not just for transport but for power, commerce and daily life. The blockade has triggered long queues at petrol stations, widespread power outages and a sharp slowdown in economic activity.

As a result of the fuel blockade, the Malian government announced the nationwide suspension of schools and universities for several weeks, citing that staff and students cannot reliably commute or that transport is disrupted.

Meanwhile, analysts warn that the blockade is part of a broader JNIM strategy to undermine the state’s authority, starve the capital city of resources, and force the government into a weakened position.

For foreign nationals, these developments translate into rapidly escalating risks. Beyond the direct threat of terrorist attacks or kidnappings, the breakdown of infrastructure means that escape routes may become compromised, flights and ground transport may be disrupted, and basic services may cease unexpectedly.

Indeed, the United States Embassy in Bamako has urged Americans to leave via commercial flights because overland travel is considered hazardous. Given these conditions, the governments of France, the US and the UK judge that their citizens’ safety cannot be guaranteed and therefore are advising departure “as soon as possible”.

What was once a challenging security environment has turned into one where the advisories now recommend immediate exit rather than just caution.