The US State Department has ordered non-emergency staff and families to leave Mali due to security threats and an al Qaeda-linked fuel blockade.
WASHINGTON: The United States State Department has ordered all non-emergency employees and their family members to depart Mali immediately due to significant safety risks.
This decision comes as Mali’s government faces escalating pressure from al Qaeda-linked insurgents who have imposed a crippling fuel blockade across the nation.
The State Department confirmed the mandatory departure in an updated travel advisory issued on Thursday.
Last week, the department authorised the voluntary departure of non-essential personnel before escalating its warning on Tuesday.
ALSO READ: Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger withdraw from International Criminal Court
American citizens in Mali were previously advised to leave the country immediately due to the severe security situation.
The official travel advisory for Mali remains at Level 4, which carries a “Do Not Travel” designation for all US citizens.
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin militants initiated the fuel import blockade in early September, severely impacting the landlocked West African country.
These militant groups have since repeatedly attacked convoys of fuel tankers attempting to enter Mali or reach the capital city of Bamako.
The Malian government responded to the escalating crisis by suspending all school and university classes nationwide for two weeks starting Sunday.
Analysts interpret the fuel blockade as a strategic pressure campaign by militant groups aiming to strangle Mali’s economy and undermine its military-led government. – Reuters
