Summary of the Facts:

Since early September, the town of Nioro du Sahel, located in western Mali, has been isolated from the rest of the country for two months due to a blockade imposed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM). The jihadists, who control the access roads, accuse the local population of cooperating with the Malian army.

As a result, around fifty residents of Nioro were abducted in retaliation for a military operation that had killed several JNIM fighters in July. On October 24, the residents, through their spokesperson, issued a heartfelt plea in a video, highlighting their plight.

Context of the Crisis:

The blockade follows a large-scale coordinated offensive by JNIM, which on July 1st targeted seven Malian towns and villages, including Nioro du Sahel. This series of attacks ended in failure for JNIM, with the Malian army claiming to have "neutralized" more than 80 fighters. On September 3rd, in retaliation, the jihadist group imposed a blockade on several areas in the west, including the Kayes and Nioro regions.

Once considered a relatively untouched area, this border region between Senegal and Mauritania is now experiencing a surge in violence, marked by attacks, kidnappings, and ambushes. The abduction of the general caliph of the Tijaniyya order, Thierno Amadou Hady Tall, in December 2024, had already illustrated the growing influence of JNIM in western Mali, threatening trade routes and borders.

Consequences and Calls for Help:

In the video from October 24, Sidi Dicko, spokesperson for the residents, described a situation of deep anguish: "No matter where you want to go today when leaving Nioro. If, on your papers, it says that you are a native of here, you are taken away," he laments, demanding the release of the fifty or so missing people.

A historic commercial hub, Nioro is seeing its economy suffocate. With roads blocked, business is at a standstill, fuel is becoming scarce, prices are skyrocketing, and power outages last from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to Sékou Niamé Bathily, a local elected official. While acknowledging the efforts of the transitional authorities, he insists that the crisis is not solely military and calls for "all options to be put on the table," including dialogue with the jihadists.

Analysis of the Jihadist Strategy:

The mobilization around Nioro du Sahel is all the stronger because the city is an important religious and political symbol, notably housing the Sharif Bouyé Haïdara, a spiritual figure allied with the transitional power.

The blockade of Nioro is part of a well-established JNIM strategy: isolating towns by targeting their road access, without seeking to occupy them permanently. This method of encirclement is recurrent in Mali, as demonstrated by the previous high-profile blockades of Farabougou (2020), Timbuktu (2023), and Léré (2024). On October 27, a new blockade was imposed on Léré, illustrating the persistence of this tactic.