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Niger revokes licences over Mali fuel delivery refusals
Niger has withdrawn operating permits from 14 transport companies and 19 drivers after they declined to transport fuel to neighbouring Mali, citing security risks from jihadist attacks along the route.
Fuel blockade and militant threats
An al-Qaeda-linked group, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), imposed a fuel blockade on Mali in September, targeting petrol tankers on key highways. The landlocked nation relies heavily on imported fuel, particularly for its northern desert regions, where militant activity is widespread.
In July, Mali secured an agreement with Niger to supply 85 million litres of fuel over six months. However, convoys traveling the 1,400km (870-mile) route have faced repeated jihadist ambushes, even under military escort.
Disrupted deliveries and sanctions
Niger successfully delivered 82 fuel tankers to Mali in November, helping stabilize supplies after shipments from Senegal and Ivory Coast were also disrupted. Further deliveries were planned, but drivers and operators refused to proceed, prompting Niger's transport ministry to act.
In a statement dated 6 January, Transport Minister Abdourahamane Amadou announced the revocation of licences for 14 operators and 19 drivers, calling their refusal a "serious violation of legal and regulatory obligations." An additional operator received a one-year suspension.
"Those who are sanctioned must surrender their transport documents and licences to the ministry,"
Niger Transport Ministry statement
Jihadist expansion and regional impact
JNIM has escalated its insurgency into economic warfare, kidnapping drivers and burning vehicles. Last year, Mali's fuel shortages forced temporary closures of schools and universities.
The crisis has drawn international concern, with the U.S. advising against travel to Mali in November and France urging its citizens to leave the country.
Mali's military leadership and security challenges
Mali's interim government, led by Gen. Assimi Goïta since a 2020 coup, initially gained public support by vowing to address the security crisis. The conflict began with a Tuareg separatist rebellion in the north before being overtaken by Islamist militants.
A UN peacekeeping mission and French forces, deployed in 2013, have since withdrawn. The junta has turned to Russian mercenaries to combat insecurity, though large areas remain outside government control.
