The security situation is deteriorating rapidly on the road axis connecting Bamako to Segou, 230 kilometers northeast of the Malian capital. For several weeks, attacks, kidnappings, and assassinations have been increasing on this strategic route, apparently becoming one of the new fronts of the “blockade” imposed by jihadist groups.
On Sunday, October 5, about forty kilometers from Bamako, four civilians were abducted by armed men believed to belong to a jihadist group. Two of them were released a few hours later, according to RFI. The correspondent in Bamako, Serge Daniel, points out that these armed groups have lists of targeted individuals and carry out identity checks on the road.
Faced with the escalating violence, the Malian army announced on Saturday, October 4, that they had “located and neutralized around twenty motorcycles, about fifteen terrorists, as well as logistical material hidden under large plant covers,” according to an official statement. The military headquarters praised these “significant advances” in the fight against terrorist armed groups (GAT).
But despite these operations, the attacks continue. On Friday, October 3, the president of the Regional Council of Segou, Siaka Dembélé, and his driver were abducted by unidentified armed men. Local authorities still have no news of them, according to the secretary-general and vice-president of the Regional Council.
A respected notable murdered
On Thursday, October 2, the population was deeply shocked by the assassination of Abdoul Jalil Mansour Haïdara, shot dead on the road to Segou, near Konobougou. The businessman, former deputy and influential religious figure, was known for his humanitarian actions and his closeness to many political and religious leaders. His murder sparked strong emotions across the country.
The day before, on October 1, at least six civilians were killed in a similar attack on the same road axis.
An “economic jihad” to suffocate the capital
Since the beginning of September, jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM), affiliated with Al-Qaeda, have extended their influence in the south and west of Mali, imposing an economic blockade on the outskirts of Bamako. This strategy aims to paralyze commercial exchanges with neighboring countries, especially Senegal and Mauritania, from which a large part of the food and fuel consumed in Mali originate.
This “economic jihad,” as several observers have called it, seeks to suffocate the capital and weaken the central power, already facing major political and military challenges.
While the roads leading to the west of the country are already under pressure, the noose is now tightening in the east, with the multiplication of checkpoints, ambushes, and attacks on the Bamako-Segou axis. The Malian capital seems increasingly isolated, at the heart of a insidious siege that the army is struggling to break for the time being.
