In recent days, jihadists in Mali have imposed a blockade in the south and west of the country, areas bordering Senegal and Mauritania, from where vital products for the country's economy arrive every day.

Since 2012, Mali has been facing a profound security crisis fueled in particular by violence from groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) organization, as well as community-based criminal groups. This crisis is compounded by a serious economic crisis.

Since the beginning of September, the jihadists have also been setting up occasional roadblocks on the main roads leading to the capital, causing significant disruption to the movement of goods and people near Bamako, but also in the west of the country.

"While enemy sorties are sometimes observed, they do not last more than 20 to 30 minutes. We cannot therefore speak of a blockade," the head of the Malian army's Information and Public Relations Directorate (DIRPA), Colonel-Major Souleymane Dembélé, however, downplayed the situation during a press briefing on Monday.

According to several observers, this strategy is aimed more at paralyzing the economy than at controlling the territory. The jihadists are also seeking to demonstrate through this means that the Malian army is not in control of the security situation on the ground, they add.

Several witnesses interviewed by AFP reported seeing a line of stopped cars on the Ségou-Bamako road stretching for more than ten kilometers near the capital because of the blockade.

At least ten buses were also set on fire across the country by jihadists.

- Paralyze the economy -

A private transport company particularly targeted by jihadist attacks has announced the suspension of its activities "until further notice for security reasons."

Several vehicles transporting fuel or consumer products from neighboring Senegal were also targeted in these attacks.

Having no access to the sea, Mali transports most of the products it needs by road, such as hydrocarbons, fish, fruits and vegetables, from the port of Dakar, Mauritania and even the Ivory Coast.

Last weekend, no fuel tankers made the Dakar-Bamako journey for fear of reprisals from jihadists.

"We have decided to stop all our trucks for the time being. We are considering sending emissaries to the jihadists to discuss securing our operations," a manager of a Malian fuel company told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In addition, six Senegalese drivers were briefly kidnapped last weekend by jihadists, before being released.

Although the Malian army initially downplayed the jihadists' actions on the ground, it finally announced the dispatch of troops to the western and southern roads to "restore order."

"The situation is difficult. The army has sent reinforcements to the field, it's true. But these reinforcements won't stay long, while the jihadists remain on the ground. The army must change its mode of intervention," an elected official from the Kayes region (west) told AFP.

On Tuesday, an extraordinary defense council meeting was held in Bamako under the chairmanship of junta leader General Assimi Goïta. No official statement was released after the meeting. However, "the security situation was discussed and important measures were taken to ensure the safety of property and people," according to a source close to the meeting.

Mali has been ruled by a junta since two coups in 2020 and 2021. Since coming to power, the military has turned its back on several former Western partners, notably the former colonial power France, to move closer to Russia and China.