On 25 April, Mali experienced a series of coordinated attacks by Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). The assaults targeted Kati, Mopti, Sévaré, Gao, and the capital Bamako, resulting in numerous casualties and the assassination of Defence Minister Sadio Camara. In response, Malian authorities launched a counter-offensive, arresting several suspects, including civilians, active-duty soldiers, and dismissed military personnel.
Five days after the attacks began, JNIM imposed a blockade on Bamako, particularly along western routes. The obstruction of the Kita-Bamako road has trapped hundreds of people, making food and water supply difficult. The siege also halts trade flows on the Kayes-Bamako axis, and attacks on transport convoys have intensified along the previously safe Conakry-Bamako route.
Impact on Mali and Neighbouring Countries
Since September 2025, Mali has faced a strategy of asphyxiation aimed at cutting essential supplies. JNIM offensives against fuel convoys in the south and west have paralysed national commerce. This extends beyond Mali's borders, threatening regional economic activity. Coastal states' ports are primary gateways for the central Sahel, and road corridors connecting these ports to Sahelian capitals pass through JNIM operational zones.
The Dakar-Bamako corridor, a strategic axis for Senegal and Mali, is most affected. Mali was Senegal's top customer in 2024, accounting for 26.5% of Senegalese exports (about $1.42 billion). Between September and November 2025, the Port of Dakar recorded a daily blockage of around 120 containers bound for Mali, with an estimated monthly loss of $26.54 million for Senegal. By late November 2025, over 2,000 containers were stranded in Dakar, and by February 2026, around 4,000 empty containers were stuck in Bamako as truck drivers feared the dangerous route back. This reduces Mali's supply of petroleum products, refined goods, cement, and food, and constrains livelihoods of drivers, traders, and freight forwarders.
Other corridors, including those from ports in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin, face similar risks. In 2025, Mali remained Côte d'Ivoire's top WAEMU customer. The Abidjan-Bamako corridor, vital for Mali's petroleum and food supply, came under JNIM attack in the Sikasso region. Côte d'Ivoire is also Burkina Faso's top African supplier of petroleum products, electricity, and fertilisers. On 14 February 2026, seven Ghanaian tomato traders were killed in a JNIM attack in Titao, northern Burkina Faso, highlighting security risks on the road connecting Ghana and Burkina Faso.
Malian Government Measures
With the terror threat prevalent in Mali, authorities have adopted measures including military-escorted fuel convoys, allowing 200-300 tanker trucks per week since November 2025. The government signed a memorandum of understanding with Malian petroleum groups to streamline customs procedures and implemented a system to limit refuelling and curb the black market. Efforts are also being made to reduce trade loads in Dakar and Abidjan ports by shifting flows to other harbours.
Le Monde reported a truce between Bamako and jihadist groups until Eid al-Adha in exchange for 100 detainees accused of terrorism, but attacks have continued, and Mali's army denies negotiations.
Regional Implications
The 25 April attacks show the limits of Mali's military response to terrorism. While JNIM and FLA set aside differences to carry out major incursions, Sahelian and coastal states struggle to form alliances. The regional implications of JNIM's blockades highlight the need for joint protection of border trade corridors. Governments and regional institutions such as ECOWAS, the Alliance of Sahel States, Conseil de l'Entente, Mano River Union, and WAEMU must prevent the expansion of JNIM tactics to other road corridors. Counter-terrorism efforts could revitalise regional cooperation between West Africa's coastal and Sahelian states.
Felix Fodé Bongono is a Bosch Research Fellow in the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Regional Office for West Africa and the Sahel. This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner.
