Since September 2025, Ségou, a key city in central Mali, has been grappling with a chronic fuel shortage that has severely disrupted daily life and economic activity. Located over 200 kilometers from Bamako, Ségou relies on escorted fuel convoys operated by the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa). These deliveries occur only two to three times per month due to persistent security challenges in the region.

Upon each arrival, more than ten tanker trucks supply the city. The bulk of the fuel is allocated to industrial producers and Énergie du Mali (EDM), the national electricity utility. Only three or four trucks are directed to service stations, whose reserves are typically exhausted within 48 hours.

Insufficient supply fuels black market

Residents report that security-driven supply disruptions have fueled a thriving black market. Repeated stockouts at service stations have led to widespread frustration, with calls for more consistent fuel deliveries growing louder by the day.

Empty streets in Ségou during fuel crisis

Price gouging and unchecked smuggling

Once service stations run dry, informal vendors step in. Across several neighborhoods in Ségou, gasoline is being sold at 2,000 to 5,000 West African CFA francs per liter—far above official prices. Residents question the source of the fuel flooding the black market, suspecting opportunistic profiteers are exploiting the crisis with little oversight.

Economic ripple effects hit hard

The shortage is taking a heavy toll on the local economy and mobility. Residents have observed a sharp decline in activity along the city’s main thoroughfares. Public transport has been hit particularly hard: fares for shared tricycles, known locally as katakatani, have doubled from 100 to 200 West African CFA francs, making daily commutes increasingly difficult for students, teachers, and workers alike.

In response, the FAMa has intensified patrols and roadblocks to intercept vehicles transporting large quantities of fuel to distant locations. Despite these efforts, residents continue to demand a lasting solution to a crisis that is steadily eroding Ségou’s economic stability.