BAMAKO, Mali — The United States and the United Kingdom have begun withdrawing non-essential embassy staff from Mali as a jihadist-imposed fuel blockade deepens a crisis that has crippled the country’s economy and daily life.
The U.S. State Department on Thursday ordered non-emergency personnel and their families to leave Bamako, citing escalating security threats.
The decision followed a warning earlier in the week urging all American citizens to “depart immediately” on available commercial flights.
Britain’s Foreign Office announced a similar move, saying non-essential staff had been “temporarily withdrawn” from its embassy in Bamako. It also advised UK nationals to leave Mali “as soon as it is safe to do so.”
The rare coordinated withdrawals underscore growing concern over Mali’s worsening instability as jihadist fighters tighten their grip on supply routes.
The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has been enforcing a fuel blockade since September, targeting tanker trucks entering the country from Senegal and Ivory Coast — key corridors for Mali’s imported goods.
Dozens of fuel tankers have been torched and drivers ambushed in recent weeks, with reports of kidnappings and killings along major roads leading to the capital.
The blockade has choked off supplies to Bamako, leaving residents facing severe shortages and sending transport and business activity into a near standstill.
The military junta, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, has struggled to regain control of large parts of the country’s north and center.
Despite promises to restore security, armed groups continue to operate with growing confidence, analysts say.
Italy, Germany, Canada and several other countries have also advised their citizens to leave Mali, amid fears the blockade could further destabilize the Sahel nation.
With fuel nearly impossible to obtain and basic commodities dwindling, Bamako’s streets have grown quieter — a stark contrast to the city’s usual bustle. “It’s like the country is being strangled,” one resident told local media.
