Niger has cancelled the licences of 14 transport operators and 19 drivers for refusing to deliver fuel to Mali, where jihadist attacks threaten fuel convoys. Mali, a landlocked country, depends on fuel imports from Niger. Since September, the al-Qaeda-linked group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has blocked fuel, attacking tankers on major highways. The fuel trip is risky, crossing about 1,400 kilometers through dangerous zones, even with military escorts. Last July, Mali signed a deal with Niger to supply 85 million litres of fuel over six months for its northern desert region, affected by militants. In November, Niger delivered 82 tankers, helping to ease the fuel shortage caused by the blockade. However, recent refusals by drivers and operators to make deliveries disrupted further plans. Niger's Transport Minister Abdourahamane Amadou stated on 6 January, "This refusal constitutes a serious violation of the legal and regulatory obligations in force." One operator received a one-year licence suspension, and all sanctioned drivers must surrender their licences. JNIM's militant campaign includes kidnapping drivers and burning lorries. Last year, fuel scarcity forced Mali to temporarily close schools and universities. The fuel crisis has alarmed international powers, with the US urging citizens to avoid Mali and France advising its people to leave. Mali's military government, led by Gen Assimi Goïta since a 2020 coup, struggles with jihadist violence, using Russian mercenaries while large areas remain uncontrolled. The fuel blockade shows the escalating economic warfare in the region fueled by militant groups.