Why al-Qaeda’s Sahel branch is blocking fuel to Mali
The Take
Al Jazeera
4.7 • 748 Ratings
🗓️ 11 November 2025
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A long siege by al-Qaeda-linked fighters has left Bamako low on fuel, food and power. Life has stalled and fear is growing across Mali. The crisis now tests a military government that has promised safety yet cannot break the blockade. What does this mean for Mali and the wider region?
In this episode:
- Beverly Ochieng (@BeverlyOchieng), analyst at Control Risks
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé and Melanie Marich, with Diana Ferrero, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, Tamara Khandaker, and our host, Natasha del Toro. It was edited by Kylene Kiang.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
Connect with us:
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Al Jazeera Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Today, Al-Qaeda's Sahel Branch is choking Mali's people with a fuel blockade. |
| 0:17.0 | We flock like birds from one petrol station to another searching for fuel. |
| 0:21.5 | We pray for a solution. |
| 0:23.7 | With gas prices soaring by more than 400 percent, can the military government remain in power? |
| 0:32.5 | I'm Natasha Deltoro, and this is the take. |
| 0:49.0 | Before we continue with today's show, don't forget to leave us a comment and let us know what you think about today's episode and what kinds of stories that you'd like to see us do |
| 0:52.9 | next. Or if you're on the podcast |
| 0:54.9 | app, let us know where you're listening from and leave us a five-star review while you're there. |
| 1:00.5 | It helps people find the show. |
| 1:05.8 | I'm Beverly O. Ching. I'm a senior analyst covering the Francophone region with control risks based in DACA. |
| 1:12.3 | Beverly, it is such a pleasure to have you here with us on the take today. |
| 1:16.5 | Before we get into the wider politics in Mali, I want to start right in the capital, Bamako, |
| 1:21.8 | which is currently besieged. |
| 1:24.1 | What began as retaliation after Mali's military banned fuel sales in rural areas has become a full-blown blockade. |
| 1:32.9 | An Al-Qaeda-affiliated group has imposed an economic siege on the capital, |
| 1:37.6 | cutting off trade and fuel, choking Bamako's lifeline. |
| 1:42.5 | Mali is a landlocked country, which means that supplies need to come by land via foreign ports. |
| 1:49.4 | Almost all of Mali's oil comes through Senegal, where you are, and from the south through the Ivory Coast. |
| 1:55.9 | But for the past two months, this Al-Qaeda-linked group, Jumat, Nusrat al-Islam, while Muslimin, or Janim, |
| 2:04.9 | has been laying siege to Bamako. |
| 2:07.2 | They're choking off access to roads, disrupting supply routes, and essentially trying to |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Al Jazeera, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Al Jazeera and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.