The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) escorted 940 civilian trucks along the Kayes-Sandare-Diema-Bamako corridor between June 23 and 29, 2026.
This coincides with deteriorating security on the roads and persistent disruptions to fuel supplies in the capital.T
According to the army, an initial mission escorted 540 civilian trucks from Kayes to Sandare.
A second detachment, departing from Diema on June 23, joined the convoy to integrate other vehicles stranded along the route. After regrouping, the convoy comprised 940 trucks
before continuing its journey to Bamako.
The route passed through Kayes, Sandare, Diema, Sebabougou, Kwala, Diedieni, Kolokani, and Kati.
The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) reported that all vehicles and their occupants arrived in Bamako without major incident.
The Kayes-Bamako road is a strategic corridor linking the capital to western Mali, as well as to access routes to Senegal and Mauritania.
It facilitates the transport of goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs, equipment, and other merchandise destined for urban markets.
This operation follows several incidents on the roads leading to Bamako. In early June, a bus carrying civilians struck a landmine on the Bamako-Kayes road, killing at least eight people and injuring 42, according to a transport union official.
Other attacks targeting civilian vehicles and convoys have also been reported in recent months
on several strategic routes.
Military escorts have been stepped up amid tensions over fuel supplies. In 2025, Mali had already
experienced a more severe crisis following attacks on tanker trucks, notably in September, when several vehicles were set ablaze on supply routes.
On June 25, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce indicated that withdrawal difficulties with GESTOCI in Côte d’Ivoire had disrupted Mali’s petroleum supply.
Between June 15 and 21, authorities announced the arrival of 655 tanker trucks, representing nearly 29.8 million litres of fuel, with an estimated delivery rate of 27%.
On June 26, another convoy of 807 tanker trucks arrived in Bamako under military escort.
Despite these deliveries, long lines continued to be observed at several gas stations in the capital, while some were closed or offering only limited service.
Fuel supply difficulties are affecting transportation, the operation of generators, markets, public
services, and economic activity.
They are also causing delivery delays, increased transportation costs, and strains on the availability of certain products.
The escort of the Kayes-Bamako convoy is part of the security operations conducted by the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) along the main road corridors.
Military authorities state that these missions aim to ensure the protection of people, property, and the flow of goods on routes exposed to security threats.
MD/te/Sf/fss/as/APA