The US has urged its citizens to leave Mali immediately amid growing insecurity caused by an al Qaeda-linked fuel blockade. The US embassy in Bamako cited severe fuel shortages, school closures, and ongoing terrorist threats, warning against land travel to neighbouring countries. The blockade, imposed by the JNIM insurgent group since September, has disrupted vital fuel supplies, with multiple attacks on fuel convoys from Senegal and the Ivory Coast. Despite military escorts, Mali’s junta has failed to lift the siege. As the crisis deepens, Mali has turned to Russia for petroleum support, highlighting the nation’s worsening instability under continued militant pressure.