Mali faces a deepening political, security and humanitarian crisis after a military coup ousted President Amadou Toumani Touré in late March. The soldiers said they seized power because his government had mishandled a Tuareg rebellion in the north. Instead, the upheaval created a power vacuum that allowed rebels to advance rapidly and take the major northern towns of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu, raising fears that the country could be divided.

The forces that captured the north have different aims. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) seeks an independent Tuareg state, while Ansar Dine, an Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda’s North African branch, wants to impose Islamic law while remaining part of Mali. Residents reported that Islamist fighters had ransacked bars, banned Western music and told people in Timbuktu to follow Islamic law. Some civilians were fleeing the central town of Mopti, fearing an advance farther south. Accounts differed on the prospects for negotiations: a representative of the junta said the MNLA was open to talks, while an MNLA spokesman said the group did not recognize coup leader Capt. Amadou Sanogo.

West African leaders, concerned that Mali’s collapse could destabilize the wider Sahel, demanded a return to civilian rule. After the junta failed to meet their deadline, the Economic Community of West African States imposed sanctions, closing borders and freezing Mali’s account at the regional central bank. The African Union also imposed sanctions. Sanogo said the army would not leave power immediately but promised to consult political groups about a transition body and elections in which the junta would not participate.

The embargo threatened severe hardship in landlocked Mali, which imports all its fuel. Long lines formed at petrol stations as residents and businesses stocked up. Farmers worried about powering irrigation pumps, while low water levels meant the electricity system could also depend on fuel-driven generators during the hot season. The frozen account raised questions about whether civil servants would be paid.

The fighting has worsened an existing regional food crisis following drought. According to the UN refugee agency, violence had uprooted more than 200,000 people since January, including about 100,000 who fled Mali. Aid agencies warned that 13 million people across the region needed food assistance.

UNESCO also warned that the fighting threatened Timbuktu’s World Heritage architecture and its ancient manuscripts. The city’s mosques, cemeteries and collections preserve a rich record of Islamic scholarship, science and history. The takeover could disrupt preservation work and access to the manuscripts. The UN Security Council was due to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis.