Drivers in Bamako, the capital of Mali, are facing a diesel shortage as limited fuel supplies are being redirected to support electricity production.
According to the oil companies’ association, most available diesel is currently being sent to Energie du Mali (EDM), the national power company, which is struggling to maintain electricity supply during a severe heatwave. This has left many fuel stations in Bamako without diesel.
The shortage has caused long lines at the few stations still selling fuel. Public transportation has also been disrupted, with more than 100 vehicles reportedly out of service because drivers cannot find diesel.
Mali relies heavily on imported fuel transported by tanker trucks. However, deliveries have recently been disrupted by attacks on convoys linked to the militant group Al-Qaeda. Since September, militants have targeted fuel shipments and blocked key transport routes to Bamako in an attempt to weaken the country’s economy.
Earlier this year, attackers reportedly killed several truck drivers transporting fuel near the border with Senegal, increasing fears among transporters and slowing deliveries even further.
As a result, businesses, transport operators, and residents in Bamako are now struggling with both fuel shortages and unstable electricity supply.
Source: TRT Africa
