Mali travel disruptions due to road blockades near Bamako
Travelers in Mali are facing severe disruptions due to road blockades enforced by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), following multiple attacks on April 25. The militant group has targeted key routes leading to Bamako, the capital, causing widespread travel delays and cancellations.
Last week, dozens of transport vehicles and cargo trucks heading toward Bamako were set ablaze by jihadists, further intensifying the crisis. While some transport companies continue operating within the country, many have suspended services to and from the capital, leaving passengers stranded.
Extended travel times and canceled trips
On the morning of May 11, we visited a reputable transport company in Bamako that serves several neighboring countries. One of their buses, traveling from Nouakchott, Mauritania, had just arrived. The journey, which normally takes four days, highlights the harsh realities travelers now face.
A migrant from Mali, whom we’ll call Mody for security reasons, shared his harrowing experience. “We left Nouakchott last Thursday at 7 AM and arrived in Gogui, near the border, by 11 PM,” he recounted. “The drivers warned us about the dangers ahead. We spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights there waiting. Sunday morning, we were told a Malian army convoy would escort us. After a long wait, we finally set off without military protection to reach Diéma in Mali. That’s when we learned that buses ahead of us had all turned back on orders from JNIM jihadists.”
A company representative confirmed that ten of their buses are currently stranded in neighboring countries, with two set ablaze over the weekend on national roads. The company has temporarily suspended all services to and from Bamako.
A week of waiting for travelers
In another region, a transport company connecting Bamako to cities like Ségou in central Mali is seeing passengers stranded for nearly a week without tickets. Seyba, a 60-year-old traveler from Ségou, explained his predicament. “I came to offer my condolences to a bereaved family, but now I’m stuck. No buses are available, and the roads are deemed unsafe. I’ve checked four other companies, and the situation is the same. If I can’t find a ride back to Ségou, I’ll have to stay with relatives in Bamako until conditions improve.”
The company’s manager, speaking off the record, revealed that five of their buses were burned last Saturday by JNIM militants enforcing the blockade. This has forced the company to halt all trips to and from Bamako until further notice.
