Nioro under financial siege: Al-Qaeda’s expansion in Mali

25th October 2025

2 minutes read

Nioro under financial siege: Al-Qaeda’s expansion in Mali

Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Mali has tightened its grip on the city of Nioro, which is now under complete siege. The terrorist group has banned the entry of fuel, accusing the population of providing support to the Malian army.

The situation in Nioro, located in the southwest of Mali, mirrors that of the neighboring gold-rich city of Kayes, where militants from the Al-Qaeda-linked group “Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin” (JNIM) control access points and punish anyone suspected of collaborating with government forces.

A video widely shared on social media and verified by Radio France Internationale (RFI) shows the suffering of Nioro’s residents. In the footage, veiled women stand on one side, men on the other, as dozens of townspeople gather behind a man who bravely speaks on their behalf.

Identifying himself as Sidi Dicko, the man declares: “It is currently impossible for the people of Nioro to leave the town without facing arrest or abduction.”

Those who appeared in the video are fully aware that their actions could result in retaliation from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, yet they rely on the careful wording of their pleas and statements to avoid worsening their situation while still calling for help.

According to local reports, around fifty residents of Nioro are currently being held by the terrorists, their whereabouts unknown.

“We all have a brother or son who has been kidnapped,” Dicko continues, appealing to “everyone” for assistance and calling on the armed groups to release the hostages.

Formulating this appeal requires extreme caution — the residents must avoid angering the militants while not appearing to criticize the Malian army or authorities.

For nearly two months, JNIM has imposed strict controls on vehicles entering and leaving Nioro, before completely banning passage. Travelers from other regions are permitted to leave, but residents of Nioro and Kayes are frequently detained.

“In Nioro, many of us are craftsmen or merchants, but we are now trapped. We cannot leave, nor can we go to the markets. We ask those enforcing this siege to allow us to resume our activities so we can meet our basic needs,” says Sidi Dicko.

Submission or siege

Beyond Nioro and Kayes, the jihadist group continues to impose restrictions on towns and villages that refuse to comply with its rules.

Last Wednesday, the militants announced the blockade of Léré, in the Timbuktu region of northern Mali, giving residents three days to flee. A year earlier, Léré had already been under a similar siege for several months. The JNIM now accuses the town’s residents of failing to honor previous commitments that led to the lifting of that blockade.

On Friday, the group claimed responsibility for seizing a Gatia militia post at the entrance to the village of Intahaka, as well as capturing a military position in Kona, in the Mopti region of central Mali.

These successive attacks underscore Al-Qaeda’s expanding influence across Mali, where state authority continues to weaken, leaving civilians trapped between extremist violence and governmental inaction.