The Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has resumed its operations in Mali, just days after halting services due to a jihadist-led fuel blockade and escalating security concerns.
For several weeks, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist organisation, has enforced a fuel blockade that has crippled Mali’s economy, disrupted transport, and caused widespread shortages.
Last Thursday, MSC — one of the world’s largest shipping companies — announced the temporary suspension of cargo road transport bound for Mali and stopped accepting new bookings for the landlocked West African nation.
However, on Monday, the company reversed its decision following talks with Malian authorities. “Following our fruitful discussions, we are very pleased to inform you of the resumption of our activities, thus suspending the statement of November 6,” MSC Mali’s management said in a letter to Mali’s minister of transport.
The move follows a similar development last week when French shipping major CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest, also reinstated its services to Mali after reaching an understanding with the government.
The fuel crisis has had severe repercussions across the country, forcing schools to close for two weeks, stalling harvests in several regions, and disrupting electricity supply. The ruling military junta, which came to power through successive coups in 2020 and 2021, has struggled to contain the jihadist insurgency that continues to destabilise the Sahel region.
With the resumption of MSC’s operations, trade and logistics stakeholders are hopeful for gradual normalisation of supply chains in Mali, though security risks remain high.