Mali: can the army break the fuel blockade strangling central Mali after Djenné attack?

MOPTI, Mali — Panic has once again gripped central Mali. On Thursday, September 24, at around 12:10 local time, the strategic crossroads of Djenné, a key point on the RN6 highway linking the south to the north of the country, witnessed a lightning and particularly deadly assault by fighters from Jama’at Nusrat al-Muslimin (JNIM), a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda.

Just minutes after the barrage of gunfire and explosions began, the military post at Djenné fell to the insurgents, according to multiple consistent local sources. Although the human toll has not yet been officially released by the General Staff of the Armed Forces in Bamako, it is expected to be very heavy. On the ground, the attackers seized a large cache of military equipment, including tactical vehicles, heavy weapons, and ammunition.

This latest security failure highlights the vulnerabilities of a military apparatus strained by JNIM’s tactics of asphyxiation.

The question everyone is asking: how did Djenné fall so quickly?

According to testimonies gathered, the insurgents arrived in large numbers, rapidly encircling the military position before launching the assault. “The attack was incredibly violent. Gunfire came from all sides, and the defense forces could not hold their support line for very long,” confided a resident who asked to remain anonymous.

After the loyalist forces abandoned the post, videos released by the terrorist group show armed men parading among the smoking installations of the camp, displaying the seized equipment as war trophies.

The blockade trap: fuel as a weapon of war

While the speed of the camp’s fall raises questions, analysts point to the logistical crisis paralyzing operations in the sector. For several months, JNIM has tightened its economic and military stranglehold on the Mopti region. By intercepting tanker convoys on major commercial routes linking Mali to neighboring countries, the armed group has imposed a veritable blockade on fuel.

This energy asphyxiation directly impacts the rapid intervention capabilities of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) and their auxiliaries. Without gasoline, reconnaissance patrols are reduced to a bare minimum, armored vehicles remain immobile in bases, and air support suffers heavy delays in engagement.

Africa Corps pushes for a readjustment of allocations

Faced with this creeping paralysis, tensions are rising within the high command. According to regional security sources, the Russian paramilitary contingent Africa Corps has made an urgent request to the transitional authorities in Bamako for an immediate increase in their allocations of gasoline and aviation fuel.

Russian officers lament the impossibility of conducting effective counter-offensives or ensuring logistical coverage of advanced posts without emergency, dedicated, and secure supplies. However, in a context where national reserves of refined products are at their lowest due to the blockade on road routes, meeting these demands is a strategic headache.

The attack on the Djenné crossroads dramatically illustrates the attrition strategy waged by JNIM: depriving the adversary of mobility to better strike isolated weak points. As the center of the country sinks deeper into isolation each day, the transitional government faces a dual challenge: breaking the energy siege imposed by the insurgents and maintaining the cohesion of its military alliance on the ground.

By Marguerite Ndongo — Political and Security Analyst