Mali faces a political, humanitarian and security crisis after a military coup against President Amadou Toumani Touré opened the way for rebels to seize much of the country’s north. The soldiers who took power said Touré’s government had mishandled the Tuareg insurgency, but the army has since fragmented and the rebels have rapidly captured the major northern towns of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu.

The rebel forces have differing goals. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) seeks an independent Tuareg state in northern Mali, while the Islamist group Ansar Dine wants to impose Islamic law within Mali. Residents reported that Islamist fighters had ransacked bars, banned Western music on local radio and told people in Timbuktu to follow Islamic law. A junta representative said the MNLA was open to talks, but a rebel spokesman said the movement did not recognize coup leader Capt. Amadou Sanogo and would negotiate only with a recognized authority.

West African leaders fear Mali’s collapse could destabilize the wider Sahel, where Tuareg communities live across national borders and neighboring states face their own political strains. After a deadline to restore civilian rule expired, the Economic Community of West African States imposed an embargo, closed borders and froze Mali’s account at the regional central bank. The African Union also imposed sanctions. Sanogo said the military would remain in power while consulting political groups about a transition body and eventual elections in which junta members would not participate.

The sanctions are already affecting daily life. Long lines formed at petrol stations as Malians stocked up on fuel, all of which the landlocked country imports. Shortages could disrupt farm irrigation and electricity supplies, particularly during the hot season, when low water levels reduce hydropower output and diesel generators are needed. The frozen bank account also raised questions about whether civil servants would be paid.

The violence has displaced more than 200,000 people since January, including about 100,000 who fled Mali, according to the UN refugee agency. The fighting has compounded a regional drought, with aid agencies warning that 13 million people need food assistance.

UNESCO warned that fighting also threatens Timbuktu’s World Heritage sites, including its distinctive mud-and-wood mosques and cemeteries. The city’s hundreds of thousands of ancient manuscripts document a rich African literary and scientific heritage; the takeover could interrupt preservation efforts and restrict access to them. The UN Security Council was due to hold an emergency meeting as regional leaders sought international support to restore constitutional order and address the rebellion.