Mali: The blockade declared by the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group JNIM in the south and west of the country last month has severely impacted travel and trade, especially fuel imports. People living in the capital, Bamako, have been struggling to find fuel, and businesses have come to a standstill. Being a landlocked country with no direct access to the sea, Mali imports most of the products it needs by road from Senegal, Mauritania, or the Ivory Coast. However, the terror blockade has plunged the country's capital into crisis. The junta-led government, which took power after coups in 2020 and 2021, has deployed the Malian army to escort truck convoys. The blockade has further worsened the fragile economic situation in Mali, one of the world's least-developed nations, where nearly half the population lives below the poverty line.