Jnim tightens blockade on Bamako and targets Manantali dam in Mali

The jihadist group Jnim, linked to al-Qaïda, has escalated its blockade on Mali’s capital, Bamako, over the weekend by torching at least ten buses along the critical Ségou-Bamako corridor—the primary supply route from the east. Simultaneously, attackers struck electrical infrastructure tied to the Manantali hydroelectric dam in the Kayes region, crippling one of the country’s most vital power sources. Despite ongoing military operations, Malian forces have yet to break the economic stranglehold gripping the nation.

Manantali: a strategic target in a war of attrition

The assault on Manantali is far from incidental. The dam, operated under a tripartite agreement with Mauritania and Senegal through the Senegal River Development Organization (OMVS), serves as Mali’s backbone of urban electricity. By disabling its transmission lines, Jnim is no longer merely targeting security forces—it is striking at the heart of the economy, where power cuts paralyze public services, businesses, and industries almost instantly.

This campaign follows weeks of systematic strikes on fuel convoys entering from Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. The jihadists aim to weaponize fuel shortages, betting on eroding public confidence in the transitional government led by General Assimi Goïta. Bamako, once relatively insulated from the conflict, now finds itself at the epicenter of a grinding war of exhaustion.

Army’s countermeasures and fragile relief

In response, Malian military command reports continued ground and air operations across multiple regions. Military escorts have facilitated the entry of hundreds of fuel tankers into Bamako in recent days, temporarily easing the pressure on gas stations under siege. Yet this logistical lifeline remains tenuous—each convoy demands substantial resources, and the prospect of securing national highways in the long term appears increasingly distant.

The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) face a dual threat. In the west and central zones, Jnim has intensified ambushes and infrastructure sabotage. Further north, in the Kidal region, tensions remain locked in a tense stalemate, with fresh clashes looming against factions of the Permanent Strategic Framework rebel alliance. Bamako’s leadership is thus forced to navigate two distinct battlefronts with dwindling human and material reserves.

A regional crisis deepens

The blockade’s ripple effects now extend far beyond Mali’s borders. Neighboring economies—Senegal, Mauritania, and Côte d’Ivoire—watch with growing concern as West African trade corridors deteriorate. Slowing goods flows are straining ports in Dakar and Abidjan, where a significant share of traffic traditionally feeds the Sahel hinterland. The Sahel States Confederation, uniting Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has yet to forge a unified response to the economic warfare waged by jihadist factions.

The Manantali attack also raises urgent questions about shared OMVS infrastructure. Further damage could directly disrupt electricity supplies to Senegal and Mauritania, turning a Malian crisis into a regional emergency. External partners, including development lenders and military suppliers, face a delicate choice: uphold Bamako’s sovereignty claims or prioritize the protection of cross-border critical infrastructure.

On the ground, the contrast between the army’s operational claims and the lived reality of a capital under siege underscores the unprecedented nature of this conflict phase. Jnim is no longer content with territorial control—it seeks to suffocate a state.