Trending 
African Union Commission President Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed “deep concern” on Sunday over an ongoing blockade in Mali by insurgents, calling for “urgent international action”.
For weeks, insurgents aligned with the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) have imposed a fuel blockade on Mali, creating a crisis for its ruling military junta.
“Youssouf expresses his deep concern over the rapid deterioration of the security situation in Mali, where terrorist groups have imposed a blockade, disrupted access to essential goods, and dramatically worsened the humanitarian crisis for civilian populations,” the African Union (AU) said in the statement on X.
The AU was ready “to support Mali, as well as all Sahel countries, during this particularly delicate phase,” the statement added, without elaborating.
“The president of the commission urges a strong, coordinated, and coherent international response to combat terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel,” said the statement.
