Mounting conflict, fuel shortages, and institutional collapse deepen Mali's crisis

The Wider Image: From France to Mali, a deportee's struggle far from home

Moussa Sacko (C), 24, a Malian deported from France, where he had lived since he was a young child, stands with his cousin Sory Bombote, 25, during a walk on a street in Bamako, Mali, December 3, 2024. Sacko was born in Mali but moved to France when he was a young child to get treatment for a chronic eye condition. He spent most of his life in Montreuil, a Paris suburb. "I don't feel at home," Sacko said in Bamako, the capital of Mali, a country in the grips of a jihadist insurgency. He says he often feels lonely: "I am on the outside, in a bubble between Europe and Africa." REUTERS/Luc Gnago

Source: REUTERS

In recent weeks, daily life in Mali, especially in the capital, Bamako, has nearly ground to a halt.

Gas stations are running dry, electricity cuts have become common, and public transport has slowed to a crawl.

With schools and universities shut down, frustration is spreading across the country. Businesses are struggling, and many people are finding it harder to move around or access basic services.

Outside the capital, things are even worse. Clashes between Malian forces and terrorist groups in rural and border areas have forced people from their homes, cut off supply routes, and made it difficult for aid to reach those in need.

The situation has grown so unstable that the United States has issued an urgent security alert, telling all American citizens to leave Mali immediately.

On October 28, the U.S. Embassy in Bamako issued a security alert that reflects the growing danger on the ground. The message urges Americans to leave the country as soon as possible, using commercial flights while they are still available. Roads leading out of Mali are considered too dangerous, with frequent attacks and armed ambushes reported along major highways.

For those who choose to stay, the Embassy advises preparing for emergencies, stocking up on supplies, keeping communication devices ready, and staying out of public view. It also warns that U.S. officials have limited ability to help citizens outside the capital because of the ongoing conflict and travel risks.

“The international airport in Bamako remains open and flights are available,” the alert states. “U.S. citizens should depart using commercial aviation, as overland routes to neighbouring countries may not be safe for travel.”

This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.

Abigail Johnson Boakye [email protected]