In Mali, authorities released more than 100 suspected jihadists linked to the al Qaeda Sahel affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, this week as part of an agreement to secure a temporary truce that paused the jihadist‑imposed fuel embargo, RFI reported on March 22. According to local elected officials and sources, those freed, held on suspicion of links to militant groups, have begun returning to central and northern regions, while jihadists agreed to open a corridor allowing fuel tanker trucks to reach several towns previously cut off by attacks and blockades.

At the beginning of September 2025, JNIM launched an economic sabotage campaign in Mali, targeting the flow of goods, particularly fuel, from Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire, including attacks on fuel tankers and their military escorts, even near Bamako. Later that year, a truce reportedly allowed the release of JNIM militants in exchange for the safe passage of fuel tankers, which also enabled schools to reopen.