The United States on Tuesday advised its citizens in Mali to leave the country immediately using commercial flights, as the contry grapples with worsening insecurity and a crippling fuel blockade imposed by al Qaeda-linked insurgents.
Militants from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) announced in early September a blockade on fuel imports to the landlocked country and have since launched attacks on convoys attempting to deliver supplies to the capital, Bamako.
The U.S. Embassy in Mali said in a statement that “Persistent infrastructure challenges in Mali including continued disruptions of gasoline and diesel supplies, the closure of public institutions such as schools and universities nationwide, and ongoing armed conflict between Malian government and terrorist elements around Bamako increase the unpredictability of Bamako’s security situation,”
The Malian government on Sunday suspended classes in schools and universities nationwide for two weeks due to the severe fuel shortage, which analysts say is part of a broader effort by insurgents to weaken the military-led government by choking off the country’s economic lifelines.
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The embassy said the Bamako airport remains open and urged Americans to depart using commercial flights rather than travelling over land to neighbouring countries, warning of potential “terrorist attacks along national highways.”
U.S. citizens who choose to remain in Mali were advised to prepare contingency plans, including provisions for extended shelter-in-place situations. The embassy added that it cannot provide support to Americans outside the capital.
The U.S. State Department last Friday authorised the departure of non-emergency government personnel and their families from Mali, maintaining its highest “Level 4 – Do Not Travel” advisory for the country.
