The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, has voiced “deep concern” over Mali’s rapidly worsening security situation, urging coordinated international action to counter the escalating jihadist violence across the country. In a statement issued over the weekend, Youssouf condemned recent attacks by al-Qaeda–linked militants from Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), who have stepped up assaults on civilians and security forces in recent months. The AU chief warned that the violence is worsening “already dire humanitarian conditions” for Mali’s population.
The jihadist group has reportedly imposed a blockade on the capital, Bamako, in retaliation for a government decision to restrict fuel sales in rural areas, a move intended to cut off militant supply lines. The blockade has disrupted food and fuel deliveries, worsening shortages and driving up prices in a country already battling economic instability and displacement. Youssouf also condemned the abduction of three Egyptian nationals by JNIM and demanded their “immediate and unconditional release.”
Mali has faced a surge in extremist activity since the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers (MINUSMA) earlier this year and the breakdown of its alliance with Western powers such as France and the United States. Both nations, along with other Western partners, have advised their citizens to leave Mali, citing security threats. The AU chairperson called for greater regional and international cooperation, including intelligence sharing and joint counterterrorism operations, to restore stability in Mali and the broader Sahel region, which has become one of the world’s most violent jihadist hotspots.
