Mali has released more than 100 suspected jihadists as part of a deal aimed at ending attacks on fuel convoys that caused severe shortages in the capital, Bamako, according to official and security sources. Since September, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM)—an Al-Qaeda-linked alliance—had repeatedly targeted tanker trucks supplying fuel to Bamako, disrupting transport and daily life in the city. The landlocked country relies heavily on overland fuel deliveries, making the attacks particularly damaging.
A local official confirmed that the detainees were freed in exchange for reopening a corridor to allow fuel tankers to pass. Security sources said the agreement includes a temporary truce expected to last until Eid al-Adha (Tabaski) at the end of May. The releases reportedly include members of the Fulani ethnic group, who are often caught up in counterterrorism operations due to perceived links with armed groups. Mali has been grappling with a worsening security crisis since 2012, as jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, along with criminal networks, continue to destabilize the country despite military efforts to contain the insurgency.
