Italy on Wednesday advised against all travel to Mali and urged Italians already there to leave “as soon as possible,” citing a severe fuel shortage and rising security risks as al-Qaeda-linked militants tighten a blockade on fuel imports. The Foreign Ministry said the shortage threatens stability even in the capital, Bamako. The warning follows a similar U.S. advisory issued a day earlier.
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) announced the fuel embargo in early September and has attacked tanker convoys attempting to reach Bamako, deepening nationwide shortages. Authorities have struggled to escort supplies after multiple convoy strikes.
Mali shuttered schools and universities this week for two weeks as the fuel crunch disrupted daily life and public services. The crisis comes amid the junta’s broader security realignments since the UN peacekeeping mission’s exit and the shift from French forces to Russia-linked security partners.
The U.S. Embassy in Bamako has told Americans to depart while commercial flights remain available, warning of infrastructure and supply disruptions and limited consular reach outside the capital.