The Malian military confirmed it has conducted air operations in the western, gold rich region of Kayes after al Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) declared a blockade aimed at cutting off fuel supplies to Bamako and limiting movement around Kayes and Nioro, near the borders with Senegal and Mauritania.
Locals reported that militants have been halting trucks and siphoning fuel since the blockade was announced. According to a Malian army statement, the operations in Diema and Nioro targeted the armed group. A colonel based in Nioro told state television that the counteroffensive involved airstrikes and that troops managed to free individuals held captive by the militants.
This military push comes as Mali’s ruling junta, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, faces growing pressure from insurgents determined to encircle major towns and cities across the Sahel. “JNIM is stepping up its efforts to weaken the authorities and choke the capital,” said Djenabou Cisse, a research fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research.
