Mali’s Air Force launched a series of airstrikes over the weekend targeting Al-Qaeda-linked militants seeking to blockade critical trade routes in the country’s southwest. The operations, announced on Monday by the Malian army, focused on the towns of Diéma and Nioro in the Kayes region, where the group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has been active.
JNIM, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, declared last Thursday that it would impose a blockade in the gold-rich Kayes region, near Mali’s borders with Senegal and Mauritania. The group stated that its goal was to restrict fuel imports to the capital, Bamako, and limit the free movement of residents in affected areas. The blockade, according to local authorities, has already disrupted the Bamako–Dakar trade route, a key artery for both fuel imports and gold exports to Senegal’s capital.
On Sunday, a Malian army colonel announced on state television that the weekend’s airstrikes had successfully freed hostages held by the militants. The army stated that further operations were underway to secure the trade routes and restore fuel and goods flow to Bamako.
Mali has been embroiled in a civil war since 2012, battling JNIM and various other armed groups. In recent years, foreign involvement has deepened. Since 2022, Russia has supported Bamako’s counterinsurgency efforts, initially through the Wagner Group and, as of June this year, via the Russian Ministry of Defense-controlled Africa Corps.
Complicating the conflict further, Malian authorities have pointed to suspected Ukrainian intelligence activity in the region. In July last year, following an ambush that killed both Russian and Malian soldiers, Ukrainian officials claimed they had provided assistance to militants. In May, Russian forces alleged they had seized drones bearing Ukrainian markings and discovered contact information for Ukrainian intelligence officers on the phones of killed militants.
The escalation underscores the growing international dimensions of Mali’s conflict, where resource control, foreign influence, and regional stability remain deeply intertwined.