U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said he spoke with Mali’s foreign minister, Abdoulaye Diop, to address shared security concerns in the wider Sahel region.
In a post on X, Landau praised Mali’s armed forces for their efforts against the al Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).
JNIM announced a fuel-import blockade in early September and has attacked tanker convoys trying to reach the landlocked country and its capital, Bamako.
Last week the U.S. State Department ordered non-emergency personnel and their families to leave Mali, citing increasing safety risks as pressure on the government grows.
The insurgents’ blockade has effectively choked fuel supplies to Bamako, disrupting daily life and intensifying concerns that jihadist actors could seek greater control.
Security analysts note JNIM units have operated within roughly 50 km (30 miles) of Bamako, but they assess the group currently lacks the intent and capability to capture the city after a brief assault last year.
Beyond the capital, JNIM has imposed travel restrictions and issued decrees, including one ordering women to wear the hijab on public transport.
(Reporting by Ismail