PRETORIA, November 7. /TASS/. Some external actors are attempting to incite unrest in Mali by having militants block the delivery of gasoline and diesel fuel to major cities, Mali’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Abdoulaye Diop said during a meeting with foreign ambassadors accredited in Bamako.
"The Republic of Mali is facing an artificially created fuel shortage intended to provoke the population into revolting," the Malijet news website quoted him as saying. "These actions are orchestrated from abroad. The terrorists are not acting alone - they are receiving external support. Attacks on economic infrastructure are aimed at weakening Mali’s transitional government and obstructing the country’s integration into sovereign alliances."
The minister did not specify which states or organizations were behind the anti-government activities.
Diop stressed that the Malian government was taking all necessary measures to ensure stable fuel supplies across the country.
"We are paying particular attention to securing the roads leading to the ports of Abidjan, Dakar, and Conakry," he said. "Army units are escorting convoys of fuel tankers, and operations against militants are being supported by forces from the Sahel Confederation of States - Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger."
Militant activities
In early September, the radical group Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) began blocking fuel deliveries to Mali through the country’s western and southern borders. Militants have attacked fuel trucks traveling from Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, and Senegal. Since late September, Mali has been experiencing an acute shortage of gasoline and diesel fuel, leading to restrictions on sales.
Due to the lack of diesel, thermal power plants have been operating intermittently. In Bamako, power outages last up to 10 hours a day, while some regions have been left completely without electricity.
On October 27, authorities announced a two-week suspension of schools and universities, citing the inability to provide fuel for transportation used by educational institutions. The US Embassy in Mali has advised its citizens to leave the country immediately, citing a deteriorating security situation and ongoing fuel shortages.
Mali, a landlocked nation without domestic oil production, relies entirely on petroleum imports, which total about 2 million tons annually.
Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, which includes up to 7,000 militants, is one of the largest armed groups operating in Mali. It identifies itself as part of Al-Qaeda (banned in Russia) and seeks to overthrow the government and seize power in the country.