Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group active across the Sahel, has announced the lifting of its ban on Diarra Transport, one of Mali’s largest logistics companies, following a public apology from its chief executive.

Suspension and Apology

The move, announced in a video statement by JNIM spokesperson Abou Houzeifa al-Bambari on October 17, 2025, marks the first relaxation of the group’s blockade measures since their imposition earlier this year. The decision allows Diarra Transport to resume operations after more than two months of suspension that had crippled supply chains and fuel deliveries across western Mali, particularly in Kayes and Nioro du Sahel.

According to JNIM, the company’s CEO apologized in an earlier October 7 video, pledging to cease any cooperation with the Malian army, which JNIM considers a hostile force.

From Blockades to Social Rules

In the same October 17 message, al-Bambari announced a new directive requiring all women using public transport to wear Islamic veils, warning operators of “consequences” for noncompliance.

The threat follows JNIM’s pattern of imposing conservative religious norms in regions under its influence, particularly in central Mali’s Mopti Region, where women have already been forced to wear hijabs and men to adhere to strict prayer schedules.

Humanitarian groups, including Caritas and U.S. State Department monitors, describe the rule as part of a broader campaign to enforce gender segregation and social control. These measures are common precursors to jihadist governance in areas that have lost central authority.

Economic Blockades and Regional Impact

JNIM’s blockade campaign, led by its Macina Liberation Front (FLM) faction, began in July 2025 as part of a strategy to strangle commerce and isolate western Mali. The group targeted fuel shipments, transport routes, and specific companies accused of working with government forces.

By August 2025, JNIM had declared full blockades on Kayes and Nioro du Sahel, banning fuel imports from neighboring Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire, and explicitly threatening Diarra Transport vehicles.

Attacks on convoys, fuel tankers, and buses in subsequent weeks forced Diarra and several smaller firms to halt operations, causing widespread fuel shortages, inflation, and economic paralysis.

Reports suggest that some local business owners negotiated safe-passage payments to JNIM in exchange for limited trade, underscoring the group’s increasing leverage over regional commerce.

Background on JNIM

Formed in March 2017 from a merger of al-Qaeda-affiliated factions—including Ansar al-Din, al-Murabitun, and the Macina Liberation Front—JNIM operates across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, seeking to establish an Islamic state governed by Sharia law.

Led by Iyad ag Ghali, the group has intensified attacks on Malian military forces, UN peacekeepers, and foreign companies, while also building shadow governance structures in rural areas. The U.S. and UN both list JNIM as a terrorist organization.

Recent intelligence assessments indicate over 1,000 violent incidents tied to JNIM and allied groups across the Sahel in 2025, reflecting its resilience and regional expansion despite ongoing Malian military operations and airstrikes.