Mali faces a deepening political, security and humanitarian crisis after soldiers overthrew President Amadou Toumani Touré in March, accusing his government of mishandling a Tuareg rebellion in the north. The coup disrupted two decades of democratic rule and created a power vacuum that allowed rebels to capture the northern towns of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu. Regional leaders fear the country could be divided and that instability could spread across the Sahel.

The northern forces have differing goals. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) seeks an independent Tuareg homeland, while the Islamist group Ansar Dine wants northern Mali to remain part of the country under Islamic law. Residents reported that Islamist fighters had ransacked bars, banned alcohol and Western music, and instructed Timbuktu residents to follow Islamic law. More than 200,000 people have been displaced by violence since January, including about 100,000 who fled Mali. Aid agencies also warn that drought has left 13 million people across Mali and neighboring countries in need of food assistance.

West African leaders demanded that the junta restore civilian rule and, after a deadline expired, imposed sanctions including border closures and the freezing of Mali’s account at the regional central bank. The African Union joined the sanctions. Junta leader Capt. Amadou Sanogo said the military would remain in power but promised to consult political groups on a transition body to organize democratic elections. Although a former minister said the junta’s chief negotiator and the MNLA were open to talks, an MNLA spokesman denied direct contact and said negotiations required a recognized authority.

The embargo quickly affected daily life in landlocked Mali, which relies on fuel imported by road through neighboring countries. Long lines formed at petrol stations as drivers, farmers and businesses stocked up. Fuel shortages threatened irrigation and electricity supplies during the hot season, when low water levels limit hydropower and diesel generators help meet demand. The frozen bank account also raised concerns about whether civil servants would be paid.

The fighting has placed Timbuktu’s cultural heritage at risk. UNESCO called for protection of the World Heritage Site, known for its distinctive mud-and-wood architecture, historic mosques and cemeteries. The city is also home to hundreds of thousands of ancient manuscripts documenting Islamic scholarship, science, mathematics and history. The takeover could interrupt preservation and digitization work and restrict access to these collections.

West African governments are seeking both a return to constitutional rule and a response to the northern rebellion, but regional intervention faces resistance among some Malians. The UN Security Council was due to hold an emergency meeting as concern grew over the crisis’s wider consequences.