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Drivers in Bamako, the capital of Mali, a landlocked West African country, are groaning over a diesel shortage that has hit the city.
The West African country, which is dependent on imports via tankers, has faced fuel shortages due to attacks on the truck convoys by terrorist groups.
Members of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliated group, have sought to undermine the Mali junta and cripple its economy
The fighters have been attacking fuel tankers entering Mali, blocking certain strategic routes leading to the country’s capital.
Human Rights Watch revealed that JNIM summarily executed 10 long-haul truck drivers and two teenage apprentices near the Senegalese border at the end of January.
In December, fuel supplies increased significantly in the country, but several service stations in Bamako have run out of diesel in recent days.
An AFP journalist observed long queues forming outside Bamako’s few remaining supply points. The Sand Producers Association told AFP that trucks transporting sand and gravel have run out of fuel.
Studio Tamani, a radio station funded by a Swiss foundation, reported that more than 100 public transport vehicles were out of service in Bamako on Monday due to a fuel shortage.
“Diesel fuel is primarily intended for Energie du Mali (EDM)”, which is under heavy strain due to a heatwave, a member of the oil companies’ association said.
Another member of the Malian oil companies’ association said EDM, which primarily operates oil and diesel-powered plants, “takes all” the diesel that enters the country.
As the capital faces diesel shortages, the electricity supply there and in neighbouring areas has also deteriorated in recent days.
Many Malians have turned to social media to express their frustration with the poor power supply and urged the military government to find a solution for the month of Ramadan and during the intense heat.
