Al-Qaeda linked group calls for united front against Mali's military junta as blockade chokes capital Bamako
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Al-Qaeda linked group calls for united front against Mali's military junta as blockade chokes capital Bamako")
Mali's junta chief Assimi Goita Photograph: (AFP)
Mali’s crisis seems to be entering a dangerous new phase as an Al-Qaeda-linked group calls for a united front to topple the Junta government. JNIM has also tightened the blockade around Bamako, threatening to choke vital supply lines into the capital. Scroll down for reas more.
An Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist group in troubled Mali on Thursday (Apr 30) called for a broad coalition to bring down the Junta government while simultaneously tightening a road blockade that is strangling supply routes into the capital Bamako. The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, known by its French acronym JNIM, issued a statement late Thursday calling on "all sincere patriots, without exception, to rise up and unite our forces in a common front" to "bring down the junta" and pursue what it described as "a peaceful and inclusive transition."
JNIM rallies for a "common front" against the Junta
JNIM's appeal was addressed to political parties, the national armed forces, religious authorities, traditional leaders and "all components of Malian society". The call followed coordinated weekend attacks by JNIM and Tuareg separatist groups against junta-held positions. Notably, Mali's defence minister Sadio Camara was killed in the strikes. His state funeral was held on Thursday under tight security in Bamako. Thousands attended, including junta leader Assimi Goita.
JNIM had earlier announced a blockade of roads leading into Bamako and the nearby town of Kati, a junta stronghold, threatening severe reprisals against anyone travelling those routes. The only exception, a spokesperson said, was for people already in Bamako who wished to leave. "The only concession is being made for those already in Bamako to allow them to leave."
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Blockade chokes Mali capital
The effects were visible by Thursday, reports AFP. Hundreds of passenger vehicles and goods trucks were stranded at multiple entry points into the capital, with drivers reporting they had been waiting since Wednesday with no clear indication of when movement would resume. "There are at least a hundred vehicles parked here as far as the eye can see," one lorry driver told AFP from the border town of Kouremale. "We're waiting for things to settle down, but anxiety is mounting."
The blockade is hitting Mali's economy at a critical point. The country is landlocked and heavily dependent on road corridors running through neighbouring Ivory Coast, Senegal and Guinea for fuel and goods. On the road to Sikasso, a key route connecting Mali to Ivorian ports, including Abidjan, a number of drivers had been killed in violent incidents reported the news agency. However, the claim could not be independently verified. Air traffic into Bamako has not been affected.
