Truckers Risk Death to Keep Fuel Flowing into Jihadist-Hit Mali

Tanker driver Baba braced himself for another perilous journey from Ivory Coast to Mali, carrying desperately needed fuel — and a heavy dose of fear.

“You never know if you’ll come back alive,” he said.

Even before hitting the road, the mere mention of a four-letter acronym strikes terror into Baba and his fellow drivers. JNIM, the Al-Qaeda-linked Group to Support Islam and Muslims, declared two months ago that no tanker would be allowed to cross into Mali from any neighbouring country.

Since then, hundreds of trucks transporting goods from the Ivorian economic hub Abidjan or the Senegalese capital Dakar have been set ablaze.

JNIM’s strategy of economic jihad is aimed at choking off Mali’s capital, Bamako, and undermining the ruling military junta, which seized power in successive coups in 2020 and 2021.

The fuel blockade has made daily life in the West African nation nearly impossible.

“By economically strangling the country, JNIM is seeking to win popular support by portraying the military government as incompetent,” said Bakary Sambe of the Dakar-based Timbuktu Institute think tank. He added that Mali also faces a “structural problem of insecurity.”

Despite the danger, dozens of tanker drivers continue to brave the roads, motivated by what they call “necessity” and “patriotism.” AFP spoke with several drivers along the more than 300-kilometre (185-mile) route between the northern Ivorian towns of Niakaramandougou and Tengrela, the last stop before the Malian border.

• Dying ‘for a Good Cause’ –

“We do it because we love our country,” said Baba, whose name AFP changed for security reasons. “We don’t want Malians to be without fuel,” added the 30-year-old, wearing a Manchester United shirt.

Taking a break in Niakaramandougou, five hours from the border, 55-year-old Mamadou Diallo echoed the sentiment. “If we die, it’s for a good cause,” he said.

Further north in Kolia, Sidiki Dembele paused for a quick lunch with a colleague, their trucks lined up on the roadside. “If the trucks stop, a whole country will be switched off,” he said between mouthfuls of rice.

Two years ago, more than half of the oil products exported by Ivory Coast were destined for Mali. Malian trucks load up in Yamoussoukro or Abidjan and cross the border via Tengrela or Pogo, travelling under military escort until they reach Bamako.

Even with military protection, convoys remain frequent targets, particularly on two key southern routes.

“Two months ago, I saw jihadists burn two trucks. The drivers died. I was just behind them. Miraculously, they let me through,” said Moussa, 38, in an oil-stained red polo shirt.

Bablen Sacko narrowly avoided an ambush as well. “Apprentices died right behind us,” he recalled. “Everyone has a role in building the country. Ours is to supply Mali with fuel. We do it out of patriotism.”

• Risk Premium and Harsh Conditions –

Pride in their work is tempered by bitter frustration over working conditions.

“No contract, no insurance, no pension. If you die, that’s that. After your burial, you’re forgotten,” said Sacko.

Monthly pay barely reaches 100,000 CFA francs ($175/152 euros), with a small bonus of 50,000 CFA francs per trip. One driver, Yoro, has called for a “risk premium” to compensate for the dangers.

Increasing insecurity has prompted some Ivorian transport companies to halt trips into Mali. In Boundiali, Broulaye Konate has grounded his 45-strong fleet. “I asked a driver to deliver fertiliser to Mali. He refused. The truck is still parked in Abidjan,” he said.

Veteran Ivorian trucker Souleymane Traore, who has been driving to Mali for seven years, said the journeys now take place “with fear in your heart.” He recently counted 52 burnt-out tankers on his return trip to Ivory Coast, with another six destroyed further along the route.

Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga described the fuel that reaches Mali as “human blood,” recognising the soldiers and drivers killed along the roads.

Analyst Charlie Werb from Aldebaran Threat Consultants warned that the fuel situation is unlikely to improve soon, given the uncertain political climate.

“I do not believe JNIM possesses the capability or intent to take Bamako at this time, though the threat it now poses to the city is unprecedented,” he said.