Dozens of vehicles burnt as Mali jihadists enforce blockade

Mali is a landlocked country and depends heavily on fuel transported from neighbouring countries. Mali jihadist attack sees dozens of vehicles burnt as Bamako blockade continues Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Jihadist fighters have been burning vehicles on major roads leading to the capital Burnt-out vehicles after they had been set on fire near Bamako Dozens of vehicles burnt as Mali jihadists enforce blockade Dozens of vehicles, including fuel tankers, minibuses and trucks, have been set on fire near Mali's capital, Bamako, as jihadists step up a blockade of the city, the BBC has confirmed. Videos filmed from passing vehicles and verified by the BBC show the charred remains of the vehicles from on a road about 45km (28 miles) west of Bamako. There are no reports of casualties - those on board were said to have been asked to get out before the vehicles were burnt. Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a jihadist group affiliated to al-Qaeda, imposed a fuel blockade on Bamako last year, which it tightened after attacking the city last month. The BBC has contacted Mali's government for comment. Mali is a landlocked country and depends heavily on fuel transported from neighbouring coastal countries like Senegal and Ivory Coast. The militants have kidnapped drivers and burnt more than 100 fuel trucks on major highways in the country since last year, but some have made it to Bamako under military escort. A group of fighters in camouglage stand around a pick-up truck on a dusty road. One man in near silhouette - standing on the vehicle - is holding an automatic rifle up. On the left of the picture is the brown and yellow legs of a sculpture. What next for Mali's military leaders after shock of rebel offensive? In the latest attack, BBC Verify authenticated the videos through matching two distinctive buildings on the side of the road to satellite imagery and checking for AI manipulation. Nasa's satellite-based platform Firms - which detects heat sources on Earth's surface – also detected a heat signature at the same location on Tuesday. The fuel blockade is intended to suffocate Mali's economy and weaken the legitimacy of the military leaders in power, experts say. Mali is currently led by Gen Assimi Goïta, who first seized power in a coup in 2020, promising to restore security and push back the armed groups. In January, he appointed 47-year-old Brig Gen Famouké Camara to head a special operation to counter the fuel blockade, but attacks on fuel convoys have continued. Before the latest attack, the fuel crisis resulting from the blockade had appeared to be easing. The junta had popular support when it seized power five years ago, promising to deal with the long-running security crisis, prompted by a separatist rebellion in the north, which was then hijacked by Islamist militants like JNIM. The junta has however struggled to contain the deadly insurgency despite the support of Russian mercenaries, making much of the north and east of the country ungovernable. Last month, ethnic Tuareg separatists and JNIM launched coordinated attacks on major towns and cities across the country, leading to the death of Defence Minister Sadio Camara after an apparent suicide truck bombing on residence near the capital. Malian Foreign Minister Sadio Camara in Moscow in 2024 Mali defence minister killed as country hit by wave of rebel attacks A motorcyclist rides past a monument in support of the Malian Army in Bamako on April 26, 2026. 'How are we going to get back home?' Islamist group tightens blockade on Mali capital Footage of an airstrike against rebel vehicles in Mali. It is imposed over the BBC Verify colours and branding. Russian paramilitary carried out air strikes in Mali as rebels advanced, footage shows A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica The death toll is unclear but sources say between 30 and 50 people died in Wednesday’s attacks. Former Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in a massive offensive by combined jihadist and separatist forces. The blockade comes days after Mali's defence minister was assassinated in a series of nationwide attacks. The outbreak, caused by a rare Ebola species, is thought to have caused 139 deaths so far. Tendai Chatama and Nyamwererei Chatikobo will be sharing dishes as part of Africa Week. In its latest update, the World Health Organization says there have now been 139 suspected deaths and 600 cases. Nine deportees arrive from the US as part of Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. An outbreak of Ebola in DR Congo involves a rare strain and is in an area affected by conflict.