By Abayomi Azikiwe
In the resource-rich West African state of Mali thousands are lining up daily in the capital of Bamako to purchase what limited amount of petroleum remains inside the country.
Over the last nearly decade-and-a-half, various insurgent groups have launched attacks in the northern and central regions of the former French colony which gained its national independence in 1960.
A self-described Islamist grouping, JNIM, appears to be the most formidable of the rebel organizations. Reports indicate that JNIM is affiliated with al-Qaida. Nearly all of the rebel groups in the Sahel region of West Africa follow the same pattern of claiming representation for Islam while focusing completely upon the destruction of property and the destabilization of various types of governments on the continent.
Since 2020, the military government in Mali, headed by Transitional President Assimi Goita, has publicly rebuked the role of France and other western imperialist states in Africa. This same political trajectory has spread to the neighboring states of Burkina Faso and Niger. In late 2023, the Liptako-Gourma Charter was signed creating the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Since this time period, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which had expelled all of the AES members for purported violations of the prohibition on the seizure of power through military means, invited all three contiguous states back into the regional fold. The AES refused and has maintained their independent position related to cooperation with the Russian Federation and commitment to economic restructuring.
Regional Security and the Economic Blockade
Consequently, the links between the imperialist states and their surrogates should be considered in the latest security crisis in Mali. During mid-2024 a diplomatic row between Mali and Ukraine occurred after information was revealed that Kyiv was assisting the armed rebels fighting against the government. Senegal, which is not a member of the AES, also condemned Ukraine for its involvement in destabilizing the Malian administration.
The AES has developed close relations with the Russian Federation. Joint gatherings including summit meetings in Russia have taken place. This relationship includes security cooperation between Moscow and the AES nations.
Western imperialist military operations in West Africa accelerated during the rise of jihadist violence in the region. The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) along with Operation Barkhane led by France, sought to cultivate partnerships between African states and their military forces.
Yet, these joint military training exercises did nothing to enhance the security apparatus of the Sahel states. The lack of progress in the efforts to defeat the jihadists rebels compounded by an economic crisis which is characteristic of modern-day neo-colonialism, inevitably created the conditions for military coups.
A British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report issued on October 26 said of the situation in Mali:
“Mali has suspended schools and universities nationwide due to a severe fuel scarcity caused by a blockade on fuel imports imposed by Islamist insurgents. Education Minister Amadou Sy Savane announced on state television that all education institutions would remain shut until 9 November, saying the movement of staff and students had been affected by the blockade. He said the authorities were ‘doing everything possible’ to end the crisis so that classes could resume on 10 November. For weeks, Mali has been hit by a fuel shortage, especially in the capital Bamako, after militants from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a blockade by attacking tankers on major highways.”
Adding to the sense of insecurity in Mali is an advisory issued by the U.S. State Department calling for all of its citizens to leave the country immediately. According to news reports, all non-essential personnel at the U.S. embassy have been evacuated.
The State Department tone indicated serious danger for the Malian government:
“The US embassy in Mali urged American citizens Tuesday to ‘depart immediately’ as a fuel blockade by jihadists who are battling the country’s military-run government renders daily life increasingly dangerous. Since September, al Qaeda-linked fighters have targeted fuel tankers, particularly those coming from Senegal and Ivory Coast, through which the majority of Mali’s imported goods transit. The jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, known by its Arabic acronym JNIM, have recently appeared to be seeking to isolate the capital Bamako by increasing operations on the surrounding roads.”
It is quite interesting that the U.S. State Department would issue such an advisory in the aftermath of meetings between Malian officials and the Trump administration earlier in the year. There were reports that the White House wanted to open talks on exchanging security assistance for U.S. access to Malian resources.
In other discussions and even agreements signed with African states, these initiatives by the Trump administration have not resulted in any economic advancement or social stability in conflict areas. At the same time, the administration has coaxed a small number of African states to accept deported migrants illegally removed from the U.S. to satisfy its own racist and xenophobic political base.
One publication following the interactions between Washington and Bamako stated in a recent article that:
“Two midlevel United States officials visited Bamako in July to explore cooperation in fighting Mali’s 13-year jihadist insurgency in return for access to the Sahel country’s gold and lithium.
“The officials — Rudy Atallah, deputy senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, and William Stevens, deputy assistant secretary of state for West Africa — made separate visits to Bamako, the capital, in a sign that US-Mali relations, which soured four years ago after a military coup led by Col. Assimi Goïta, could be thawing under the administration of President Donald Trump. Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop hosted meetings with both US envoys. ‘We discussed the fight against armed terrorist groups supported by foreign state sponsors,’ he said on X after his talks with Stevens on July 21. Also on the agenda, he said, were ‘prospects for economic cooperation, including through private American investment in Mali, thanks to the improvement of our country’s business climate’.”
These events shed light on the present situation in Mali and the imperatives of improving national security while restructuring the economy. All three of the AES states are landlocked therefore providing formidable challenges to independent planning and development.
90 Mining Contracts Cancelled
Mali is attempting to restructure its mining industry in a manner which is more beneficial to the people of the country. In late October, the military government announced the annulment of 90 contracts with various firms based outside the country.
Barrick, one of the largest gold and copper mining firms in the world, was forced to suspend its operations in Mali during early 2025. There were disputes between the corporation and the Malian government over the amount of taxes paid and what was said to be misconduct by Barrick executives, several of whom remain in detention.
Several of the largest investors in recent years for Barrick are financial entities based in the U.S. such as Black Rock and Berkshire Hathaway. Under the previous agreement, the Malian government says it did not receive adequate compensation for its part ownership in the mining operations. In recent weeks there was an announcement about an additional investor in Malian mining.
Business Insider Africa in an article published on October 9 noted:
“The United States-based Flagship Gold Corp. has entered into a strategic partnership with Mali’s state-owned Mineral Resources Research and Exploitation Company (SOREM) to restart production at the Morila gold mine, marking the first American investment under the junta-led nation’s new mining code. Following confirmation by Mali’s military-led government, Reuters reported that the agreement, finalized on October 8, 2025, allows Flagship Gold Corp. to acquire equity in Morila SA and contribute capital and technical expertise to resume production at one of Mali’s most significant gold mines. The deal comes after the government’s June 2025 takeover of the mine, which involved purchasing an 80 percent stake from Australia’s Firefinch Limited for a symbolic one U.S. dollar.”
Reviewing these mining deals which are in transition reveals the degree to which international finance capital maintains its grip on African resources. Until the African workers, farmers and youth can adequately benefit from the mining and export of its resources the masses of people will remain impoverished.
This lack of control over its own resources makes the government in Mali and the AES as a whole quite vulnerable to imperialist manipulation and destabilization. Therefore, the national security of Mali is essential in building a stable and resilient society.
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