US and UK Withdraw Non-Essential Embassy Staff from Mali Amid Escalating Jihadist Blockade
Other countries, including Italy, Germany, and Canada, have issued similar advisories to their citizens amid growing instability
The United States and the United Kingdom have withdrawn non-essential staff from their embassies in Mali, citing escalating safety concerns as a jihadist-led fuel blockade cripples the country
Since September, the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has been targeting fuel tankers entering Mali, particularly from Senegal and Ivory Coast, disrupting vital supply routes and plunging the landlocked nation into crisis
The U.S. State Department on Thursday ordered the departure of all “non-emergency employees and their family members” from Mali, following an earlier advisory urging American citizens to leave the country immediately via commercial flights
Similarly, the British Foreign Office confirmed that “non-essential British Embassy staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Bamako” and warned UK nationals to depart while it remains safe to do so
Other countries, including Italy, Germany, and Canada, have issued similar advisories to their citizens amid growing instability
JNIM’s intensified attacks have left numerous fuel tankers destroyed and several drivers and soldiers dead or kidnapped in ambushes, effectively isolating the capital, Bamako
The blockade has caused severe fuel shortages, halting much of Mali’s economic activity over the past two weeks
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Mali’s ruling military junta, which came to power following coups in 2020 and 2021, continues to struggle to contain the insurgency that now threatens to choke the nation’s economy and isolate it from its regional trade partners
Writer : Mweru Mbugua
