The Malian city of Mopti has been plunged into darkness for weeks as a fuel blockade by jihadists tied to al-Qaeda cripples power supplies.
For a month now, the people of Mopti – one of Mali’s largest and most vibrant cities – have been living in darkness. The lights went out in early October, and they have not come back on since.
The blackout is the result of a blockade imposed by jihadists linked to al-Qaeda. The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims – known as JNIM – announced in early September that it was cutting off fuel supplies to much of central Mali.
Since then, armed fighters have been attacking convoys of fuel tankers, leaving towns across the country struggling to power homes, hospitals and businesses.
Mopti, a riverside trading hub of more than 560,000 people, has been among the worst affected. Power cuts were already part of daily life, but with the blockade in place, fuel has all but disappeared.
Generators have fallen silent, and solar panels are now the city’s only lifeline – powering parts of the main hospital and letting residents charge their phones for a few minutes at a time.
Mali’s economy near standstill amid JNIM fuel attacks
‘Catastrophic’ crisis
“Since 7 October, we haven’t had a second of electricity,” says Mohamed Sanous Nientao, a Mopti native now living in exile. “It’s a total blackout. For residents, it’s catastrophic.”
Nientao is a businessman and former local politician who once led the Mopti branch of the UDD, an opposition party now dissolved along with all political organisations under Mali’s military-led transition. Though he is abroad, he remains in close contact with his hometown and describes a city at breaking point.
“Economically, there’s no work, so no income,” he told RFI. “We get a few hours of water distribution, but even that is uncertain. With the security situation, we’re practically cut off from Bamako. The road is controlled by jihadist groups, and with the fuel shortage, the price of a bus ticket to the capital has exploded.
“We’ve never experienced anything like this in Mopti. It’s unbearable.”
Mali under pressure to end fuel crisis as negotiations with jihadists stall
Nientao appealed to Mali’s junta for help. “We know the authorities can’t fix everything overnight,” he says. “But we’re asking for at least one hour of electricity each day. The country is under attack from an extremist force. We have to stand together, but to do that, people need food, fuel and the means to live.
“We’re now in a position where we’re begging for a single hour of power.”
Earlier this week, Mali’s interim president, Assimi Goïta, said the government was working to find solutions. “Some of the answers must also come from families,” he added, urging Malians to limit travel, show solidarity and avoid panic.
This article was adapted from an original story in French by David Baché.
