Mali faces a deepening political, security and humanitarian crisis after soldiers overthrew President Amadou Toumani Touré in late March, saying his government had mishandled a Tuareg rebellion in the north. The coup reversed more than two decades of democratic rule and created a power vacuum that allowed rebels to advance rapidly as the Malian army fractured.

Tuareg separatists and Islamist fighters seized the major northern towns of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) seeks an independent Tuareg state in northern Mali, while Ansar Dine, an Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda’s North African branch, wants to impose Islamic law within Mali. Residents reported that Islamist fighters had ransacked bars, banned Western music in some areas and told people in Timbuktu to follow Islamic law. Some civilians fled the central town of Mopti, fearing an advance south.

The junta, led by Capt. Amadou Sanogo, has refused to relinquish power immediately, though Sanogo has promised consultations on a transition body and eventual elections in which the military would not participate. A negotiator for the junta said the MNLA was open to talks, but a rebel spokesman said the group did not recognize Sanogo and would negotiate only with a recognized authority.

West African leaders, concerned that Mali’s collapse could destabilize the wider Sahel, imposed sanctions after a deadline to restore civilian rule expired. The measures included closing borders and freezing Mali’s account at the regional central bank; the African Union also imposed sanctions. The blockade quickly prompted long lines at fuel stations. Landlocked Mali imports all its fuel, and shortages threatened farm irrigation, electricity generation and other essential activities. The frozen account also raised questions about whether civil servants would be paid.

UNESCO warned that fighting could endanger Timbuktu’s World Heritage architecture, including its historic mosques and cemeteries. The city is also home to hundreds of thousands of ancient manuscripts documenting Africa’s literary, scientific and Islamic scholarly heritage. The takeover could disrupt preservation work and access to the collections.

The conflict has intensified an existing food emergency caused by drought. According to the UN refugee agency, violence since January had uprooted more than 200,000 people, about half of whom had fled Mali. Aid agencies warned that 13 million people across the region needed food assistance.