Inside the Sahel's War Economy: How Juntas and Jihadists Tax the Same Fuel Trucks
The Sahel region is experiencing a complex war economy where both the Malian junta and jihadist groups like JNIM profit from the same fuel smuggling routes. Despite a blockade, fuel continues to reach Bamako at inflated prices, facilitated by a mix of Russian security forces and informal economic cooperation.
Why it matters
This highlights the failure of traditional military interventions and the emergence of hybrid war economies where state and non-state actors share economic interests.
Ten months into JNIM's blockade of Bamako, fuel still gets through — at five times the price. An economic anatomy of how Mali's junta and its jihadist enemies now profit from the same smuggling routes.
The report provides a factual, albeit grim, analysis of regional power dynamics and economic corruption.
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