Mali Under Siege: Tracking the Fuel Blockade Crippling Bamako

Bellingcat’s investigation documents a coordinated campaign by Al Qaeda–affiliated JNIM to ambush fuel convoys supplying Bamako, Mali, destroying more than 130 tankers between mid-September and early November, 2025. Using open-source videos, NASA FIRMS heat signatures, and high-resolution satellite imagery, the report verifies at least six attacks across multiple routes from Senegal and Ivory Coast, details the group’s propaganda shift to video via ChirpWire, and assesses the severe economic and social fallout—fuel shortages, disrupted transport, embassy drawdowns, and visible nighttime dimming of Bamako—while noting increased military escorts attempting to secure critical supply lines.