France is pulling back diplomatic staff from Mali as the security situation in the country deteriorates under a jihadist-imposed fuel blockade. The move comes amid deepening concerns over the junta-led country’s shift toward Russian military support, which has done little to improve the security situation, according to French officials.

A cyclist and motorcyclists pass by cars parked on the roadside amid ongoing fuel shortages caused by a blockade imposed by al Qaeda-linked insurgents in early September, in Bamako, Mali, October 31, 2025. © Stringer, Reuters

France is reducing the number of its diplomatic staff in Mali due to a deteriorating security situation in the west African country which has been hit by a jihadist fuel blockade, a foreign ministry source said on Friday.

“France continues to monitor the security situation in Mali closely,” the ministry official said, asking not to be named.

“In light of the situation, and following the example of several of its partners, it has decided to adapt its diplomatic and consular arrangements,” the official added, referring to the United States and UK which have already evacuated non-essential diplomatic personnel.

France urges citizens to leave Mali temporarily due to jihadist blockade

To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.

Accept

Manage my choices

Mali, like its Sahel neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger, is led by a junta which seized power in a coup and has turned away from former colonial power France.

The juntas in all three countries have instead moved closer to Russia, which has sent in mercenaries to help them fight a jihadist insurgency.

In early November, France advised French nationals to temporarily leave Mali “as soon as possible”, as a jihadist blockade upended daily life in the capital Bamako and other regions.

French officials and security experts said Russia’s military presence in Mali did little to improve the security situation and help the ruling junta to contain the advance of the jihadists.

A spokesperson for the French foreign ministry said in early November that “the contested presence of Russia or similar forces in Mali does nothing to ensure the safety of Malians”.

Read more

Africa Corps, which is run by the Russian defence ministry, has sought to step up its presence in Mali and fill the gap left by the mercenary group Wagner, which announced its departure from the country in June.

The Russian army is operating in six African countries, including Mali, Russian state TV reported recently, in a rare high-profile acknowledgement of the extent of Moscow’s official military presence on the continent.

The TV report claimed that Russian forces equipped with bombers had been successfully fighting off attacks on convoys of trucks carrying fuel to Bamako.

In a propaganda video released on Tuesday, the jihadist group JNIM announced its intention to intensify its blockade and said it would now consider truck drivers as combatants.