Mali’s central regions have long endured blockades, but the modern iteration imposed by the Katiba Macina, an affiliate of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), has transformed this tactic into a systematic tool of control. Unlike historical sieges, these contemporary blockades are not merely military operations—they serve as instruments of governance, applying pressure through starvation, mobility restrictions, and the imposition of religious and social decrees.
Through field research in villages such as Marébougou, Saye, and Kori-Maoundé, a study titled Living Under Siege: Case Studies from JNIM-Influenced Zones in Mali reveals how these blockades disrupt every facet of life: agriculture, commerce, education, and social structures. The goal is clear: to make resistance untenable by rendering daily existence impossible. The local term benkan, often translated as a
