BAMAKO (Reuters) -Swiss-based transport company MSC said it was no longer accepting bookings for Mali due to security issues and a shortage of fuel resulting from a blockade imposed by al Qaeda-linked militants.
The two-month-old fuel blockade on the landlocked West African country by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has all but paralysed the capital Bamako.
The group has attacked convoys of fuel tankers attempting to reach Bamako, turning the screws on the military-led government and raising concern that the jihadists might try eventually to impose their rule.
“Due to major operational challenges caused by safety concerns and a fuel shortage, road transportation for cargo destined for Mali is temporarily suspended until further notice,” MSC said in a statement posted to its website on Thursday.
French shipping company CMA CGM said on Thursday its overland transport had been “heavily impacted in terms of both transit times and costs” because of Mali’s fuel and security issues.
But it reversed a decision to suspend cargo shipments after meeting with officials at Mali’s transport ministry.
France on Friday became the latest Western country to advise its citizens to leave Mali. The U.S., Britain and Italy have issued similar notices.
(Reporting by Mali newsroomWriting by Robbie Corey-BouletEditing by Ros Russell)
